Dawn Of Freedom
by crazr
Summary: This takes place exactly one-thousand years after the events of radiant dawn with war ready to erupt once more. There are brand new characters as well as a few old favorites.
1. Chapter 1

Dawn of Freedom

Part 1: Crimean Valor

Prologue: Over one thousand years ago, a man united two nations at war and halted the calamity that was to ensue. Now at peace, the nations are once again at the brink of war not because of their hatred but because of their love; what they created. After a thousand years, many things have changed and a third nation showed it's face. This superior nation threatened equality and caused the fear of extinction, leading to conflict.

It is believed that calamity will always be stopped by one person who has the heart to accept all sides. A name is given to children who are believed to have the blood of the hero coursing through their veins. They were said to accomplish great things but none were ever able to do so. In the midst of chaos and want of war, any children with the name were captured and killed. Now the last and only child left that carries the blood of the hero lives peacefully in the islands to the south. Isolated from the war, he is about to have a rude awakening when his destiny calls him. Young Ike will realize that his part in this world is more than just sailing between the islands for his father…

Location: Phoenicies, Eastern Shore

Year: 1763,

Time: Noon (about 12:44 modern)

Chapter 1: Help from the Hawks

The arrow made a thudding noise as it hit its target from about fifteen yards away. It was a perfect shot; aimed at the jugular of a straw target. Ike pulled another no tipped arrow and aimed. He took a deep breath for his next target was more difficult. He locked his eyes at the protruding end of the other arrow and prepared to shoot. The bow string made a straining noise at it was being pulled back and the wind blew slightly to the east making Ike readjust his aim. Ready to fire, he freed the arrow from his grip before being interrupted by a sudden yet calming voice.

"Rachel!" exclaimed Ike.

"Hi Ike, I came to pay you a visit," was her reply.

"You ruined my shot, you know how much my hand had to suffer so I could pinpoint the trajectory?"

"I'm sorry," said Rachel. "Here," she said grabbing Ike's hand, "let me make it feel better." Rachel gave Ike's hand a soft kiss and it made him blush.

"Will you stop doing that!" said Ike.

"Alright," said Rachel sadly.

"You must have a reason to have visited me."

"I did, your dad told me that you have a package you need to bring to Kilvas. He also told me, since I asked him, that you have to help carry my groceries."

"Fine," said Ike miserably.

Ike followed behind Rachel and they walked back to his house near the cliff edge. Going down the rickety wooden path, they made their way down to the beach to the small town at the coast. The town was a peaceful place of no more than sixteen small houses. Here, Ike thought, would be where he would have preferred to live instead of the outskirt up in the cliff edge. Sure being near to the Large valley town on the other side of the mountain was helpful, but he'd much rather have lived near the ocean than overlooking both cities. The view was amazing, but there was always something that drew him to the peaceful sea.

As they entered the town and approached the dock, Ike remembered what had always drew him here. It was Rachel. Having been friends since they were no older than three and now fourteen years old, Ike's love for Rachel as a sister had changed to a deep love. She had no longer been the smiling cute friend that he always played with but the beautiful girl that he'll always care for. Of course, he would not say anything in fear of losing their friendship. But the fact that she would still hug him when he was sad or kiss him where he was hurt really tore away at him. After all, Ike thought, it wasn't the same anymore as when he was a child, when pressing a body against him was "gross." He looked away when she turned around as they reached his Dad.

"I'm here dad," said Ike.

"I see that son," was his Dad's reply. "Anyway, you need to get this wheat to Milan and sell it to Zack, understood?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"You better, Rachel's dad and I have been slaving all day to get this on the ship so I expect no mistakes. Oh, and the fact that you need to help Rachel with groceries over there and have to be home by dinner is another reason."

"All that in a little over five hour's? That's' impossible!"

"Cheer up now son, the Goddess hates a quitter remember? And Rachel's been wanting a day to come for when you to can be alone again. With all the work both of you are doing, you rarely see each other anymore."

Ike looked at Rachel who was talking to her mom. She then looked at him and flashed a smile before talking to her mom once more. With everything set, she joined him and they were off.

After about one and a half hour's worth of sailing, Ike finally mustered the courage to talk to Rachel. "Hey," he asked, "I was wondering?"

"You starting a conversation with me?" asked Rachel teasingly. "That's rare…"

"Enough of that," said Ike. "I was just wondering what was on your mind since you keep looking at the water and at the sky."

"If your curious," said Rachel, "I can tell you if you want."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Remember those stories my grandpa would tell us about bird men?"

"Yeah."

"I think I saw one."

"You're kidding."

"No, I did! I'm positive!" said Rachel now turning around. "It was last week when I was heading to your house when I saw down the valley path a man I never saw before. He looked back and fourth to see if anybody was watching and when he saw no one, wings sprouted out of his back and he flew."

"Are you sure you're just not working to much?" asked Ike.

"Think about it Ike, our islands have been separated from the main continent for over 600 years. Nobody knew how our civilization even got started. In addition, besides your dad, nobody has ever been to the main continent."

"This is all sounding a little too crazy."

"Remember the old legend between the two nations of the warring Beorc and Laguz?"

"We're Beorc and Laguz are animal people I know, but none of that exists Rachel."

"How do you know? Have you ever been to the main continent? Just imagine, what if where we live now was where the birdmen use to live?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Are you that dull? Isolated islands with tall mountains, ancient caves unearthed near cliff edges, the valley village being a city that wasn't built by our own people, this place screams bird men."

"Alright" said Ike scratching his head in bewilderment, "but unless you have tangible proof, nothing holds."

"Then what about this," said Rachel as she pulled a golden feather from her pouch.

"This has got to be a least twenty-four inches, no bird has these kinds of feathers!" said Ike shockingly. "Where did you find it?"

"I found it from where the bird man flew away from."

"So why didn't you show this to me before?"

"I didn't think I needed it to persuade, since you shared the belief with me when we were young."

"But even if they use to live here, they don't now. So, why would you see one?"

"That's the point I'm trying to get at, what if war is breaking out in the main continent? What if they're coming here for you?"

"W-why me?"

"They named you Ike because they thought it was a good name. But the name of the hero who saved both nations before was Ike!"

"An the old legend says that those named Ike has the hero's blood running through their veins," said Ike in a quiet voice.

"They either need you or are here to kill you," said Rachel now hugging Ike and crying.

"I wont let that happen," said Ike hugging back.

With that, a hail of bolts pierced through the sail of their ship and Ike saw another ship in the distance. He saw men with crossbows approaching and was now readying another salvo. He dived with Rachel to keep her safe and then reached for his bow. He quickly popped his head up an let loose an arrow hitting one in the throat before ducking under another salvo. He was trembling in fear as he took his first life and was slowly losing his mind. Then, from out of the clouds, a shrieking noise echoed through the air. He looked up and piercing through the clouds was an army of hawks being lead by a large hawk. They rushed the enemy ship and decimated it.

"That's him," said Rachel, " that was the color of the bird man."

The large hawk, spanning about sixteen feet, feathers began to shed. His talons turned to arms and legs appeared. He became human save the fact that he still had wings. "We've been looking for you," said he.

"Who are you?" said Ike shocked.

"I'm Talos, son of Tibarn and King of Serenes," was the reply.


	2. Chapter 2

Location: Ocean of Flight

Year: 1763

Time: Afternoon (about 2:37 P.M. modern)

Chapter 2: Wrath of the Ravens

"Tenus, slow down," said Imea. "I think King Talos can afford us being 'on time' for the transaction.

"Being on time isn't good enough," Replied Tenus. "We're Ravens, we need to be quick and early."

"I don't think three hours early is what King Talos will be expecting…"

"To be early means to be safe."

"Not for our men, they're completely worn out."

"Really?" said Tenus turning around. "Fine, I guess we'll take a break…"

The ravens sighed in relief and stopped. Quickly looking for a landing spot, they decide to rest on a small island. It was very evident to Tenus that his men were tired but he knew they could not afford to rest long. After all, the blood of speed was given to his father and now passed down to him. Resting was what he scorned most; even more than a hail of crossbow bolts. Not knowing what to do at the moment, he moved up to the edge of the cliff and stared at the sea. He then closed his eyes and began to enter a deep state of mind. This was his way of calming his tireless blood which was needed on a daily basis for control. It had been four days; Tenus thought, since he raked apart a target and his body was itching for a fight. Just thinking of the blood and the chaos in the battlefield was enough to make him dizzy. He knew he had to get out of this habit, but that was a very hard task to accomplish.

"Tenus," said a soothing voice.

Silence.

"Tenus?"

More silence.

"Come to your senses," said Imea softly as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Huh?" Gasped Tenus. "What was that for?"

"It was so I could get a word out of you."

"Well, what is it?"

Imea sat right next to him and leaned her body against his. She then said, "I just wanted to say that you have to slow down at times."

"That's it?"

"No 'that's not it!' I've talked to your sister and she always worries about you because you're so reckless. Your mother also doesn't approve of it and if your father was still capable of flying, he said he'd stop you."

"I'd like to see him try."

"Don't be so arrogant. Before your time, I heard Master Naesala was the most capable and most shameless of our kind."

"That's before he gets shot by a bow. When he gets hit, he's going down like a sack of bricks."

"You might think your fa-

"Because I am."

"Before you cut me off, you might think you're fast, but Queen Leanne always said that even now you are still a snail compared to your father."

"To be that fast means to dodge a volley of arrows that can turn night to day."

"He did…"

"What's your proof?"

"Before King Tibarn abdicated his throne 250 years ago, his last wish was for the construction of a memorial for himself and Master Naesala. The statues will feature the time King Tibarn lifted two armored knights and Master Naesala dodging a hail of arrows from forty of Begnion's elite marksmen."

Tenus got back up and ignored what Imea had said. "It's time to go," he said, "get the men back up."

"As you wish," replied Imea.

As they once more began their hasty approach, Imea flew close to Tenus. She then went underneath him to avoid the rain that had not stopped pouring since they left.

"Why did you come?" finally asked Tenus.

"Umm, Queen Leanne told me to."

"You were never any good at lying."

"I came to protect you."

"I won't be dying."

"I cant risk my betrothed to die in a place like the ocean, what if they never find your body?"

Tenus flew closer to her until he could carry Imea in his arms. He then smiled at her as they flew and said, "You know that's not going to happen."

"You could be surprised sometimes."

"Alder," said one of the soldiers on the ship. "They're almost here, what are your orders."

"Ready the ballistae and arm the crossbows. Tell the mages to line the see with oil, we'll burn it as soon as they try to escape."

"Is that all sir?"

"Not quite, make sure the sacrifice army can delay the hawks about ten miles south of here and tell the thunder users to use the natural lightning to pinpoint their targets. The ravens will see the mistake of being so predictable in their agile efforts, and I will laugh at their stupidity."

"Is that all sir?"

"Gather the men before the ravens arrive, I need to boost their morale a little."

After an hour of preparing and no more than ten minutes left for the master plan, Alder began his short and inspirational speech."

"After a thousand years of peace and little war to follow, it is time for us to decide who will be the rightful species worthy of survival. With Begnion at our side, and Daein at our mercy, we will fight for our lives. Soon approaching from the north is an army of ravens waiting for decimation and far off to the south is the foolish hawk king of Serenes. We will wipe out the ravens and then finish the hawks. When you find the boy, show him no mercy, if he is to live, the war for dominance will never be resolved. My friends, our allies grow every day. With Crimea being the last stronghold that has decided to side with the birds, dragons, and wolves, we will decimate them and continue our march to a better future; a glorious future. 'Strive for what you treasure most' was what the majestic Stefan said many centuries back, do not let his efforts of survival be wasted by today."

"Tenus, an armada of unknown colored ships is up ahead," said Ichi. "Do we go through them?"

"We're not risking a fight," was Tenus's reply. "Transform, fly low, and veer west, we'll avoid them by going through the rocks over there."

"Understood."

"Avoiding a fight?" said Imea. "That's very unlike you…"

"Things change."

As the ravens swooped low through the rocks Tenus felt uneasy. He shifted back to human state and looked around. He listened carefully and looked at his men before looking at the rocks above them. He had noticed the arch the two islands made was a large cave with only two ways out, forward or backwards. Tenus realized his foolish decision as he remembered that ships with no colors were abandoned.

"IT'S A TRAP! GET OUT OF THE CAVES NOW!" he screamed in vain. As they retreated to the back of the cave it had erupted into a wall of fire and they were force to rush the front. Now heading for the front, half a dozen boats appeared and men with crossbows began to fire. Tenus retreated to the back and rallied his men as the ones in the front were slaughtered. "PARENTLESS!" screamed Tenus. "Charge while their reloading! 'Murder of Crows formation!'"

It was a wasted effort as the now reloading men were quickly replaced by wind users and the ravens could not break through. When they had switched back to bows, the hail of bolts killed the survivors of the raging winds. In desperation Tenus retreated to the back along side the dozen or so men he had left. Not knowing what to do, he transformed and readied himself for combat. He thought if they had to die, they could take some of the bastards with them. He rushed in for one of the ships gracefully dodging the hailing bolts and tore right through the front lines. He then plunged his talons into two men and pecked another one in the head hard enough to break it. Throwing the two men against the wall, he noticed he was now in the middle of all the ships. They all aimed their crossbows and he could here the chanting of the mages conjuring wind. Sheer adrenaline took over as he sporadically moved from one point to the other avoiding everything until a bolt pierced through his leg. The sheer pain made him shift back to human form and he floated there helplessly. He could see one of the men on the ships taking the soldiers crossbow before smiling and aiming at him. It was their leader. He stood proud as the shot was now aimed for his chest as he knew it was not going to miss. As it was released, he closed his eyes and waited for inevitability that seemed to never come. He felt his back press against the wall and he saw an untransformed Imea in front of him. She had knocked him out of the way.

"That was close," said Imea. "Don't give up on us now," she said smiling.

"But what can I do?" asked Tenus.

"You can fight for your men, for your lives."

"I can't, were outnumbered."

"Quality wins a war, not quantity."

"That phrase seems to not work at the moment."

"Then fight for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm tired, I need to take a nap, and I don't expect to wake soon," said Imea as she pressed herself against Tenus and closed her eyes. Tenus than felt something poking out of her back. He looked over her shoulder and saw a bolt sticking out in the middle of her small frame.

"No… Imea," he whispered.

"It's alright Tenus, I just want you to know that, I wish we got married sooner so that we could have started a family…" was her sad and final reply.

Before he could say anything back, he felt a stinging pain in his hand and he let go of Imea. Staring at her lifeless body, and at his now injured hand, Imea was swallowed by the sea. He then looked at the leader of the group to see that he had fired the bolt with a smirk. Yanking the bolt out of his leg and hand, he felt anger burn inside of him like never before. He transformed and his feathers began to shed and were quickly being replaced. The tips had turned to an ominous blue and his feathers grew to a darker purple rather than typical black. His soft yellow eyes entered a state of bloodlust and turned to a deep red. Feeling the anger in their leader, the remaining dozen shrieked and charged alongside him. They gracefully dodged the arrows before being greeted by razor winds. Before the wind could connect, Tenus gave out a cry and it negated the wind as well as killing nearby men. Those who were far could feel blood trickle down their ears as their crossbows splintered.

There was no mercy and the now defenseless soldiers were being slaughtered like livestock. Tenus had gained the strength to pierce through the wood of the hull and was now sinking the ships that they had killed the crew in. Alder knew that being the last ship left was a bad sign. His men were all slaughtered until he was the last one left. Tenus reverted to human state and landed on the boat.

"A foolish move," said Alder smirking and charging. He then fell off balance as the ravens lifted his ship by its ropes. As he laid on the ground, Tenus took his sword and grabbed him by the collar. He then dragged him to the side of the ship and made him look down at the rocky reef below.

"What are you going to do with me?" asked Alder nervously.

"Let you go," answered Tenus. He dragged Alder to the base of the sail and impaled him by his own sword to it. Not being able to move, Alder looked at Tenus as he nodded to his men and dropped the ship. He then gave Alder one final salute and put a smirk on his face.

"CURSE YOU, YOU BASTARD!" screamed Alder as the ship exploded on contact with the reef and sent his body parts in multiple directions.

"Orders sir?" asked the wounded Ichi.

"Meet up with Talos," answered Tenus.

"What about you sir?"

"I'll catch up."

Tenus dove into the water and recovered Imea's body. He then brought her to a patch of grass atop the island since the rain had stopped. Grabbing a torch from one of the sinking ships, he set her aflame while emotionlessly crying.


	3. Chapter 3

Location: Goldoan Seas

Year: 1763

Time: Night (about 10:12 P.M modern)

Chapter 3: Introduction to Nightmare

Ike was tired. They had been flying for over six hours and it seemed they would not stop soon. He had been riding on Talos's back for a long time and his arms started to hurt clinging on to him. Most of the trip he was half asleep but every once in a while he would hear bits of interesting information. Most of is was the history of how the birds came to be one nation which he found very interesting. He learned that the hawks use to live in Phoenicies and the ravens at Kilvas. The herons had lived in Serenes and at one time, the hawks and the ravens lived together peacefully before separating. What he found very interesting was that if not for the hero Ike, the birds would have never reunited in Serenes. Learning about how the wolves joined the beasts due to Ike also made him doubt himself. How could he, a farm boy who fights with a cowardly bow compare to a sword wielding hero? After all, even his title of "Hero of the Blue Flames" shook his confidence. Could he really help these people? What if he lets them down? What if he isn't the one? All these questions sent his mind to a state of paranoia and put him to a deep sleep.

Ike had awoken to a view of trees above him. He moved his head back and forth to see that they were in a forest near the shore. He looked to see that the bird men were now hunting for food and Talos and Tenus were talking.

"It's okay Tenus," said Talos. "You don't have to hide anything from me. If you want to talk about Imea, you know I'll listen."

"That's not it Talos," replied Tenus with a sad smile. "You see, after everything we did today, I'm to tired to cry anymore."

"I'm sorry, I wish I was there to help you."

"It was my fault, she always told me not to be reckless. My mistake caused her her life."

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't know any better.

"For that reason it's my fault."

"Keep thinking like that and I'll agree with you."

"Aren't you suppose to cheer me up?" asked Tenus with a smile.

"Not if you won't let me," answered Talos. "Listen, Imea died protecting what she treasured most believing you would do the same for her. You have your friends, your family, you still have people with you. If you sulk now, it would just make Imea sad for all of her efforts were in vein. You'll see her again, but not just yet."

"I also have my king," said Tenus bowing. "Thank you sire."

"I'm not your king," said Talos laughing. "I've never been your king, I'm more of a very close friend if I have to say so myself."

"You got that right. Do you want to spar tomorrow on our way to Gallia?"

"To make sixteen out of sixteen victories for me?"

"Ha-ha! I don't think so…"

"Where are we heading to again?" asked Ike.

"Gallia home of the wolves," answered Talos.

"By the way," interfered Tenus. "I heard you were traveling with a beautiful maiden from Talos. Where is she?"

"Huh?" said Ike shocked. "Do you mean Rachel?"

"We left her back in Phoenecies to keep her safe," said Talos.

"Oh, I see… I bet you miss her don't you?"

Ike's face turned red. "W-W-Were just friends"

"Leave him alone," said Talos Laughing. "He's at an age where he doesn't like talking about his personal relationships. Besides, aren't you suppose to keep our men from stopping?"

"I'll get back to that," answered Tenus.

They continued to walk for a couple of hours and did not stop. Ike was very bored not only because he was tired but because the environment had remained the same dense humid forest. Not being able to stand anymore, he decided to start a conversation.

"I overheard you guys talking about how the wolves joined the beasts but it seems you seldom mention the beasts," said Ike.

"That' because they betrayed us a long time ago," said Talos.

"Why?"

"If you wish, I could tell you what has happened these pass 1000 years."

"That'd be great."

"Well, to start off, war hasn't broken out until these passed 100 years. It started with a beasts tribe Laguz who had the title of 'Gallia's Valkirie'. Lethe, if I remember correctly, was her name."

"What did she do?"

"She had found and fallen in love with one of the Parentless. They first met in the Grann Desert and joined Ike's army where he slowly grew closer to her."

"Who's this 'he' your talking about?"

"He was a master of blades named Stefan. By the end of the Mad King's war, which was the first war that threatened the continent, he had left Lethe and it made her return to her usual cranky behavior before falling in love with another man. The problem was that this one was a Beorc."

"A human?"

"You could say human. If I remember correctly, his name was, it was, I don't remember."

"You can't remember?"

"It started with a Z and it is said that they had a child when he settled in Gallia and this is where it all began. Their child worked at Begnion when he became of age and the man Lethe had loved died of old age. Since Stefan was a branded, he lived longer and they met each other once more. By this time, she had another child with Stefan and he settled in the Grann Desert along side his comrades."

"So that's why Begnion and the Grann are united?"

"Exactly, Lethe's other son had risen to power and when the Parentless decided it was time for their nation to be noticed by the world, they took down and allied Begnion with them. Their combined forces then took over the nation of Daien and now only Crimea is the last Beorc nation that is on our side. In addition, because of Lethe's marriage with Stefan, the beats believed that it was not committing a sin, which it was not, and many followed in her footsteps. For this very reason, the beasts and the Parentless have grown very close so they decided to side with each other."

"Are we outnumbered?"

"Very much so, many birds, especially ravens, have been killed while they have swiftly transported the women and children over the mountains to Gallia."

"What have the hawks been doing?"

"Trying to keep out of extinction."

"You don't mean…"

"That's right, the twelve men I have left and about a couple hundred injured soldiers women and children totaling to about 400 are the last hawks."

"What's my part in this?"

"You are Ike, the blood of the hero run's in your veins. It is said that you must journey to Sienne the capital of Begnion and enter the Tower of Guidance."

"What will I do there?"

"You will meet with Goddess Ashunera's confidant who will tell you what you must do to stop the madness."

"We're going to go to the heart of the enemy stronghold, are you crazy?"

"Only me and Tenus as well as my best men and some Beorc will accompany you. It will be a small force that can quickly enter and leave just as fast to minimize casualties and to spill as little blood as possible."

"But I can barely fight."

"You will be trained by the best Beorc, you won't be letting us down."

"I hope so…"


	4. Chapter 4

Location: Castle Gallia Outskirts

Year: 1768

Time: Noon (about 12:14 modern)

Chapter 4: Approval of the King

"How many?" whispered Tenus to Ike.

"Six parentless, three beasts," replied Ike looking over the rock they were hiding. He took another glance and looked at the gaps in their armor before readying his bow and aiming. "Ready and," said Ike pausing before running out into the open. "NOW!"

"Were not suppose to kill them so don't aim for somewhere lethal," said Tenus in vein as Ike shot the man's neck. The other two then aimed their bows at Tenus and fired while the remaining three closed in on Ike. Tenus curled in his wings and exploded them outward deflecting the arrows and knocking back the men who fired. He then rushed one of them and kicked him square in the face knocking him out. The other man then drew his sword and swung wildly as Tenus gracefully dodged all of his blows. He then grabbed the man's arm and threw him into a tree. As he turned around, Tenus realized he was surrounded by three wolves. "How unfortunate," said Tenus now transforming, "for you three that is."

As the men rushed Ike, he stepped to the side to avoid an incoming javelin before firing one final arrow at another man's neck. He then stepped forward and kicked upwards breaking the second man's spear who had tried to impale him. Ike then grabbed the broken end the man was still holding and poked him in the stomach with it knocking the wind out of him. As he looked back, he noticed the other man had dropped his spear and had now had his sword right above his head. Ike used his bow and deflected the attack before drawing his sword. Ike looked at the man as he lashed at him and dodged the clumsy blow. He was obviously faster than the poor fool he was attacking as Ike noticed for every blow he dodged, he would nick the man twice and every once in a while three or for times. After a one sided fight, Ike struck down the man before grabbing his bow and shooting a final arrow at the last beast about to rush Tenus. They had won.

"We weren't suppose to kill any of them," said Tenus.

"They're not dead," said Ike with a confident smile.

"You shot three of them in the neck, they should be…" Tenus became silent as he looked at the men and realized they were asleep. "How?"

"I didn't only aim for the gaps, I aimed for key point in their nerves which put them to sleep."

"That's incredible."

"And what about you huh? You know, fighting untransformed against those men?"

"It's not nearly as amazing as your impossible shots."

The both of them stopped talking as they saw a hawk fly pass them, a scout. They looked dumbfounded at each other before realizing and chasing it. "A scout?" screamed Ike.

"Obviously…" replied Tenus.

"Where did he come from?"

"How am I suppose to know, just get him!" exclaimed Tenus now shifting. Him and Ike followed the hawk to no avail as it flew out of the woods and soared through the plains. "Were, LOSING IT!" said Ike.

"Geez, what part gave you that idea?" said Tenus.

"You're a raven, you should be faster."

"You really think I'm going to take Talos on one on one?"

"Then I'll do it!"

"Well you better hurry cause once he flies of that canyon, it's over for us."

Ike sprinted as fast as his legs could take him desperately chasing after the hawk. He pulled out his bow and readied a shot while running. Taking a deep breath, he locked on to its right wing and fired. It missed. "Dammit!" screamed Ike now drawing another arrow. Again he aimed and missed and repeated the process three more times before the hawk reached the canyon.

"It's over," said Tenus as Ike jumped straight off the canyon. "ARE YOU CARZY?" Tenus flew of the canyon and Ike landed on his back as they chased the hawk. It was right below them and it gave Ike a great Idea.

"I'm going to swing onto its back," said Ike.

"How?" asked Tenus.

"I'm going to tie this rope to this arrow and fire it towards him."

"What's that going to do?"

"That's where you come in. If your as fast as you say, you can chase after that arrow, grab it before my rope runs out, and make me swing with enough momentum to land on Talos's back."

"THAT'S INSANE! What if you miss"

"Then you better save my sorry hide."

"Alright, lets do this," said Tenus getting into diving position. Ike shot the arrow and Tenus chased after it making him freefall. Panic entered his mind as he closed the ground and Tenus was only half way to the arrow. Ike saw that there was no more than thirty feet of rope left before even if Tenus reached it, he would have nothing to grab on to. In sheer desperation he screamed, "HURRY UP!"

"SHUT UP!" replied Tenus as he streamlined his body like a bullet. The arrow was within reach and with one final boost, he grabbed it with his talons. Ike grabbed the remaining two feet of rope and heard the rope strain as it swung him forward. As he was just about to let go, he heard Tenus curse as the arrow broke under all the pressure and Ike fell. In all his fear as he was no more than fifty feet from hitting the rocky canyon, he blacked out.

XXXX

Ike woke up in to the view of the whole forest realizing he was in the King's Hall of Castle Gallia. He panned his head back and fourth before seeing Tenus swoop down from one of the open arches and shifting back to human form. He put his hand on one of the arch pillars and shook his head.

"What happened?" asked Ike.

"He saved you, that's what happened," answered Talos swooping down the arches behind Ike. "From my perspective, it was mission failure since you couldn't catch me, the scout."

"If Tenus sped up a bit, we could have got you."

"Are you crazy? What if he decided to fight us? He can stay shifted forever; besides the fact he'd rip my head off, I can't stay shifted forever."

"You could at least try…" said Ike annoyed.

"Enough," said Talos. "Tenus, though you are a good seventy-three years younger than me, you need to be more responsible. Remember that if something is to happen to me, you are our next strongest and will be king. Stop acting like a child."

"I can't help it!" exclaimed Tenus. "In Beorc years I'm a whole eleven years younger than you. Besides, Ike is also partly to blame, he took out the trainees."

"I didn't kill them though, isn't that what you wanted?" asked Ike to Talos.

"It doesn't matter, you are both at fault." Talos shifted back to hawk form and perched himself on the edge of the floor. He then said, "Get your things ready, we're heading to Goldoa."

"Now?" asked Tenus.

"You and me are," answered Talos. "We'll wait for Ike there. He has to get there by himself."

"What?" said Ike shocked.

"It's your final test already huh?" asked Tenus.

"Yes Ike, you have to make it to Goldoa yourself in three days and the time starts as soon as you get King Gallia's approval," said Talos.

"What for?"

"It is to test everything you have learned these last five years. Once you reach Goldoa, you will get King Goldoa's approval to begin your journey to Sienne. That is, if you make it in three days and pass his test when you get there."

"What if I don't make it?"

"Then you'll be dead," said Tenus.

"Tenus…" said Talos.

"Oh, I'm just kidding… sort of. Anyway, your nineteen now, you should be 'mature' enough to handle something like this."

"Easy for you to say since you can just fly there…" said Ike.

"But in Beorc years, I'm as old as you," said Tenus shifting into a raven. "That means me being able to get to Goldoa means you can definitely make it."

As they flew away Ike turned his head to the other set of arches. Staring at the moon, he said, "Sometimes, I wonder why I don't shoot him…"

XXXX

King Gallia looked at Ike confused before asking, "That's it, three swords are all you're going to bring on your journey?"

"I'll hunt for food and I can use my cloak as a blanket and some leaves as a pillow," answered Ike. "You also forgot I brought an extendable javelin and a bow to add to my arsenal."

"With all due respect, you are being a bigger savage than any of my mongrel hounds."

"Pardon my asking sire," said Ike nervously. "But why do you treat your people as if they really are worthless animals instead of actual individuals?"

"I don't do that."

"More like you can't notice," whispered Ike.

"Excuse me," said King Gallia annoyed.

"Nothing!" answered Ike in shock. _I thought he was going to kill me._

"Anyway, it's because it something that I had to grow up with and it has kind of rubbed off on me to treat my people that way. Do not get me mistaken though, I would gladly sacrifice my life to protect any of them."

"I see."

King Gallia stood from his throne and spread out his arms. "You have my approval to leave."

"Thank you sire," said Ike now walking away.

"Wait," said King Gallia. "I never said you will go alone, you will bring this one with you."

Ike turned around to see a wolf that had beautiful grayish-white fur. It's stance was perfect and Ike could tell by looking in its eyes that it was a seasoned fighter. "Who's this?" asked Ike.

"This one is my most trusted vassal, may it guide you well."

"But I'm not suppose to take anybody with me, it was Talos's orders. He is king."

"And so am I, so I say you take this one with you. Besides, there are still beasts between Gallia and Goldoa that share the parentless beliefs who have not been dealt with yet. You will need all the help you can get to fight off such feral beasts."

"Alright then, thank you sire," said Ike. He then turned around to the wolf and asked, "Who might you be?"

"That one is Yuu."

"Do you have to talk for him?"

"It won't otherwise."

"Oh, so I'm going to be traveling with air?"

"Pretty much."

"I hope his fighting is as good as his silence."

"You won't be disappointed, this one is Queen Nailah's child, I trained this one well, it will not fail you."

"I am very thankful sire," said Ike.

"You can stop calling me that," said King Gallia to Ike who was now leaving his hall.

Ike turned around with a big smile and said, "If you say so '_Black Wolf of the Sands.'_"He then continued to walk away.

King Gallia sat back down and said to himself, "I meant Volug."


	5. Chapter 5

Location: Beltline (Between Goldoan and Gallian boarders)

Year: 1768

Time: Afternoon (about 2:33 modern, 2nd day of test)

Chapter 5: A Shocking Journey

The day was hot and Ike showed approval through sweating. He had not eaten his entire trip and his stomach would not stop torturing him. He thought it was either he was hungry or that water he found wasn't clean a few hours back. He had traveled in complete silence and had not said a word even to himself except in his thoughts. He looked back at Yuu the wolf and saw no complaint. He had not eaten nor drank anything in the last two days but he showed no sign of weakening. It took Ike a moment to realize that he was being followed by a wolf. Not the fact that he was silent, he knew Yuu was behind him, but the fact that he is still a wolf. Ike recalled the scene at Gallia and realized Yuu was a wolf back then and even now. When he slept for the last two days and he woke up, Yuu slept next to him as a wolf and not as a person. _Is he like Talos_, Ike thought, _I thought only Kings could stay shifted forever_.

"I just now realized that not only have I never heard you speak, I don't even know how you really look," said Ike. "You think you would be willing to show me that much?"

Yuu made a gruff sound and continued to walk in silence.

"I guess not," said Ike. "How about finding us a way to get to Goldoa faster. If we stay at this pace, we won't be there until the day after tomorrow."

Yuu looked to the left and then started to sniff the ground. Yuu then looked to the sky and howled before running. Ike took this as a sign that he found something and quickly followed. They had gone through the rocky landscape and back to the forest. Ike was now worn out, every joint in his body ached but Yuu still continued on before realizing Ike's fatigue and stopping. He turned back and started looking before sitting down in front of Ike.

Ike smiled and said, "I'm exhausted boy, we have to take a break."

Yuu ignored what Ike had to say and started pushing him on the back but Ike resisted. He then bit him by the collar and tried to drag him. Ike pulled back and started to push himself away. "What's wrong with you boy?" said Ike angrily.

Before Ike could ask anything else, Yuu tackled him down against the tree and a cat's claws flew right over his head barely missing it. "Damn!" said Ike pulling a sword before another cat jumped out and knocked it out of his hand. He then rolled out of the way and pulled out another sword before the cat lunged again. He rushed at the cat and it jumped out of the way towards a tree and bounced off behind Ike. It then swiped its claws and Ike fell over from the stinging pain. He rolled onto his back and pulled out the extendable javelin and popped it out to impale the pouncing cat. Before this could happen, a tiger jumped out of the bush and broke the javelin before swiping at Ike. Ike then used his leather greave and blocked it leaving gaping holes in it and on his arm. He rolled away and ran for one of the trees and started climbing. He pulled himself up and took out his bow and shot the cat in the neck. It rolled over lifeless and he pulled another arrow and shot the tiger. It's hide was thick and it bounced right off.

Ike continued to climb the tree as the tiger was now attempting to do the same. Once he was on the highest branch, he pulled out his bow and aimed for the tigers eyes before dropping it as three cats jumped on the tree from a neighboring one. The cats were now clawing their way up to Ike's branch and he had no choice but to jump to the neighboring branch about seven feet away. With all the courage he could muster, he leaped and managed to grasp onto the branch. As he tried to pull himself up, one of the cats from the other tree jumped and landed on his back. It was now tearing apart his cloak and was making quick work of his shirt. With his free hand, Ike grabbed the last sword on his belt and plunged it into the cats stomach. It began to move more sporadically and Ike continued to sink his sword into the cat's gut until it finally ceased. All his strength was sapped away and he let got of the tree falling with the cat.

Providing a great cushion to his fall, Ike got up to only be surrounded by multiple tigers and cats. He readied a fighting stance and yanked the sword out of the cat before the beasts heard a loud howl and retreated. Turning to where it came from, Ike saw another cat hissing at Yuu surrounded by two dozen dead beasts and standing on a dead lion; their leader. Shocked, the beasts ran away and Ike fainted of weariness.

XXXX

Ike woke up to the sight of the moon above him and rays of sunlight poking through the trees. It was dawn. He realized that he had been knocked out for a long time and missed how the fight ended. "I have to stop fainting," he said to himself as he rubbed his head. He then noticed that his arm was all bandaged up and the wounds on his back covered with some kind of herb. He looked to his left to spot a concoction of sorts in a bottle that was probably used to hasten his recovery. Surprised by who did it, Ike guessed it was Yuu but he was nowhere in sight.

Ike immediately got excited at the thought that Yuu had reverted to human state to take care of him. This could be his chance to see how he really looked. Grabbing a sword for safety's sake, he searched for Yuu. He did not scream his name and looked for him stealthily as the very sound of his voice may make Yuu want to transform back to wolf form. Hearing the sound of rushing water, he realized he was near a river and he followed it down all the way to the base of a mountain. Near the waterfall, he spotted a figure in the water taking a bath. Ike quickly dove for the bushes and moved some of the leaves apart to see.

As excitement of finally seeing Yuu in human form came to his mind, he took a long glance. He saw the tail and ears that never disappeared when reverting as well as a slender figure. As Yuu turned around, Ike gasped and screamed: "No way? She's a-"

Yuu pulled him out of the bushes and stared at him blankly. She looked at his shocked face and wondered what was bothering him. She then got confused on why Ike turned all red and screamed, "I'M SORRY! I didn't mean to peek!" She leaned over near Ike, their faces almost touching, and she could feel the heat exiting Ike's body. As Ike fainted for no apparent reason, it confused her and she continued bathing after laying Ike on a rock.

XXXX

"What a dream!" said Ike as he woke up and saw Yuu still naked. It made him scream, "DON'T YOU HAVE ANY CLOTHES?"

She shook her head.

Ike unfastened his torn up cloak and wrapped it around her. He then sat as far as he could and said, "There, you look decent and I won't accidentally do anything I'll regret."

Yuu smiled and started moving closer to Ike. She saw him back away but she didn't notice what he was trying to say and she leaned against him.

Ike, now completely flushed red, didn't know what to do. He thought of something to distract him so he started a conversation. "Why don't you have any clothes?" Ike asked.

Silence.

"Is it because you're always in wolf form?"

She nodded.

"Why transform back now?"

Silence.

This annoyed Ike because Yuu was making it very hard to communicate. Needing to still keep himself distracted, he asked another question. "Can you speak?" Ike asked.

She nodded before looking at him and moving her arm in front of her face. She then moved it up and down and Ike understood.

"A language barrier, is that what you're trying to say? So you speak the old tongue?"

She smiled and nodded once again.

"At least I know why you don't talk to me. Anyway, Yuu is a boy's name, I'm assuming that is not your real name?"

She nodded.

"What is your real name?"

Yuu immediately pointed to the now disappearing moon as daybreak came. She then looked at a puzzled Ike to see if he had understood.

"Your name is moon?"

She shook her head.

"I get it! Your name is moon in the old language."

She smiled and hugged him.

Her body pressed against his, Ike panicked and pulled her of him. He then recalled the seen of all the dead beasts and amazement filled his mind. This fragile looking woman next to him managed to kill all those beasts by herself. Not just cats and tigers, but also a lion. That was what truly amazed Ike. He looked at her face and features and came to the conclusion that she was probably no older than eighteen, one year younger than him and Tenus. Then again, thought Ike, he made Tenus look like a nestling from what she accomplished the day before.

Remembering the day before, Ike realized it was the third day and he had until noon to get to Goldoa. Entering a panic, he ran and said, "Come on boy, we have to keep moving or we'll never make it." As he left the see of trees, he saw castle Goldoa in front of him and he gasped. He turned around to see Yuu walking slowly, she had probably carried him on her back all the way here. "Have you eaten anything?"

She shook her head.

"Well, we'll get food in Goldoa," said Ike now walking side by side with Yuu. As they reached the gates, Ike said, "Those herbs and that bottle of fluid could only cure wounds, not disinfect them, how did you solve that problem?"

Yuu put one of her fingers in her mouth and looked up at Ike. He was tall compared to her and it intimidated her. She then pulled her finger out of her mouth and rubbed it on one of Ike's wounds on his arm.

"You licked me?"

She nodded her head.

Before Ike could say anymore, he was greeted by a hard slap to his back. Turning around, he noticed it was Talos. "I see you brought Yue with you. Didn't I say to do it alone."

"You disobeyed direct orders," said Tenus swooping in from the high walls and accompanying Ike on his trek up the stairs. "And might I mention that you look extremely beautiful today miss Yue," added Tenus.

Yue smiled and she hugged him. Tenus was shocked, but he eased his arms around her and said, "It can't be helped, how could one resist such beauty?"

Yue then pointed at Ike and it surprised him. "What's the matter?" he said.

"You managed to resist her charm?" asked Tenus.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Oh I know why, your eyes are still set on that Phoenician beauty back home."

"What?" said Ike.

"My friend, you must learn to live for now and not tomorrow. What are the chances you'll ever see her again? She might already be dead if those islands got attacked."

"I thought you yourself didn't live for today but for the pass.

"Why you-"

"ENOUGH!" interrupted Talos smacking both their heads. "We are at the top and they are opening the gates, try to show some decency."

Tenus shifted back to animal form as well as Yue. Tenus took Talos's side as the gates opened and Yue Ike's. Upon opening, Ike saw many people he had believed to be Beorc and he was caught off guard. "I didn't know there were Beorc here."

All the people shot him a look and Tenus snickered as Talos sighed and Yue shook her head. "That misunderstanding out of the way," said one of the men walking close to Ike. He was a tall man probably a little over six feet with a muscular body. He had cropped green hair that was slowly regressing and a beard. His eyes were of a blood red and Ike realized there was a marking on his forehead. "I am Kurthnaga, king of the dragons."


	6. Chapter 6

Location: Castle Goldoa

Year: 1768

Time: Mid-day

Chapter 6: Crimea Cries

"You are tired," said Kurthnaga. "You should take a rest, we will discuss your test tomorrow."

"If you say so sire," replied Ike.

"Please, just call me Kurthnaga."

"Yes sire."

"This man will show you to your quarters, I hope you have a pleasant stay."

"Thank you si-, Kurthnaga."

The man pointed the way for Ike and immediately left him. Ike then thought to himself that pointing to a general direction for where he will be staying isn't very helpful. None the less, he ignored the thought and continued to walk. He began observing the area and taking in the landscape. Goldoa was well defended; it's high walls prevent frontal assaults, having one entrance allows for no entrapment, and the fact that a dragon could substitute for the front gate if it were broken was very impressive. The buildings were also worth noticing. Tall spires rushed to the very skies and were intricately designed. The center of the stronghold boasted and elevated fortress accessible via another flight of stairs and surrounded by high walls. Unlike the outer wall, this one had men posted around it every ten feet and the structure inside was the pinnacle of beauty in the entire stronghold. From what protruded out of the high wall Ike could see a beautifully designed building with archaic arches and enormous pillars. Other than that, it was impossible to see anything else.

Ike continued to walk and began to pay attention to the streets. They were clean as if newly polished and there was no sign of any garbage. He saw smaller buildings that housed citizens with stairways branching from many directions for all the different elevated houses. Even these small structures were pristine in condition and looked like they had not been damaged at all. It made Ike remember what Talos had said about Goldoa. _Even now no one is still brave or stupid enough to try and attack Goldoa, _and it showed through how perfectly the stronghold was kept together. Even the stands where fellow merchant dragons were selling supplies was orderly. Unlike back in Phoenicies, there was no pushing, no dirt, no nothing. It really amazed him how one place could stay so perfect.

Ike suddenly stopped and turned around. He looked a the wolf that had been following him the entire time during his observation. He then took two steps forward and it backed away two steps with opposite results when he took two step backwards. It was staying at an appropriate ten steps behind and had executed it perfectly. Ike sighed and said, "What's the matter boy? Can't you just leave me alone?"

It made a grunting noise.

"Why won't you leave me alone Yue?"

Silence.

Ike continued to walk before meeting up with Talos. He then headed towards his general direction. "Is this where we are staying?" Ike asked.

"Yes it is," answered Talos. "Come on in"

Upon entering, Ike saw Tenus sitting on a bed and reading a book. He then panned his head over to take a better look at the room. It had only three beds and a wardrobe next to each of them. One window allowed for light to illuminate the room and it had plenty of decorations that amazed Ike. "Don't be offended," he said "but are you sure these guys are Laguz? There so neat."

"There's some differences between us."

"Some?" asked Ike.

"Anyway, back to the point, why did you bring Yue with you?"

"King Volug ordered me to do so. He said that 'if what Talos wants to do is kill you, then he'll get that wish if you go alone.' Bring this one with you, unless you want to be ambushed by beasts."

"I guess I did ask for too much."

"You always ask for too much," said Tenus eyes still plastered on the book.

"That fact out of the way," said Talos, "get some sleep, you'll need it for King Kurthnaga's test tomorrow."

"Alright then," said Ike. "That is, after I ask you some questions."

"Alright," said both birds now paying attention.

"Her," Ike pointed to Yue. "Why didn't King Volug get her any clothes when she can't stay a beast forever? And also, how can she stay a beast for so long?"

"You answer it Tenus."

"Alright, alright," said Tenus stretching. "The reason she can stay a beast for so long is because she has the unique and rare ability to 'half shift.'"

"What do you mean?" said Ike.

"She is gifted with amazing stamina and control of it that she can convert the transformation energy from temporary, to everlasting."

"So you're saying she can stay transformed forever?"

"Pretty much, but the only other Laguz in history that are known to have been capable of 'half shifting' or had the potential to are King Volug, Master Giffca, Janaff of the hawks, and Vika of the ravens. There are a lot more since the chances of having the ability is one in every one-hundred births, but those are the Laguz I can remember immediately."

"I guess that answers why she doesn't where clothes too, but why did she transform back?"

Tenus paced himself back and forth before asking, "Did you fight any strong enemies in the forest?"

"She took down a lion if that counts," answered Ike.

"Then there's your answer."

"I don't understand."

"As the term suggest, you create a balance in you energy to '_half shift' _meaning the concentration it takes to stay shifted forever can also hinder you in the fact that you are always at half your power."

"Meaning?"

"Simply put, when you 'half shift' you can stay transformed for forever with a price compared to when you 'normal shift,' where you have a limited amount of time but are at full power. She had pretty much needed to fully shift to be at full strength to beat the lion so she 'normal shifted.'"

"Then what do kings do to stay transformed for forever and still be that strong?" asked Ike now wondering.

"Kings have the ability to 'form shift' which is pretty much and overriding of the transformation energy," answered Tenus. "Simply put, all they must do is use enough energy to shift and that will power them to stay that way unless they no longer wish it to. The rest of the energy goes into the fighting. Is that all?"

"One more," said Ike.

"Make it quick," said Tenus. "I need a nap."

"Why won't she stop following me?"

"Two reasons," said Tenus. "Both of which she told me while you talked to King Kurthnaga."

"You can understand the old tongue?"

"Of course I can," said Tenus proudly. "Anyway, the first is because she was ordered to protect you, and the King's vassal must follow every command of their king with no question. As for the second reason, it's because she really, really, li-

Tenus got cut off as he was tackled by Yue. She then began to whimper and looked into his eyes. "That's something left for you to figure out Ike," said Tenus.

"If you say so," said Ike. "Whatever the reason Yue, I can promise that I'll buy you clothes tomorrow since your king can be pretty… uncaring."

Yue then shifted back to human form just to give Ike the sweetest and most adorable smile.

XXXX

"Her you go," said Ike giving Yue a blue sleeveless shirt and long white skirt. "I bought it while I got breakfast so now you can give me back my cloak."

Yue reverted back, grabbed the clothes and went behind a curtain. She then stuck her arm out holding Ike's cloak and he took it from her. When she had left the curtain, the clothes fit perfectly and she hugged Ike. Ike, who was now again entering a panic, yanked her off of him and said, "Your welcome."

"Ike," said Tenus swooping in from the window. "It's time to go. I would also like to add that that outfit looks beautiful on you miss Yue."

"Enough with that," said Ike. "Let's get going before she ends up hugging you again."

"Alright," replied Tenus. "I still can't believe you haven't fallen for her charm though."

"You mean Yue?"

"Yes," said Tenus now opening the door. He let Yue out first who immediately transformed into a wolf and then Ike before following. "She's perfect! She's quiet, obedient, and easy to please. Not to mention pretty as a Heron but stronger than a Lion. She is also extremely intelligent as proven from all her tactical battles she had won in Gallia. All she really needs to know is learn how to speak the modern tongue with that beautiful voice of hers."

"You praise her for everything," said Ike sighing.

"She deserves it. She's pretty much a woman version of King Volug when he was Queen Nailah's vassal. The only difference is that she tends to show her emotions more."

"If you say so…"

"We're here," said Tenus now stopping.

"Where's here?" asked Ike.

"The arena," said a deep voice. It was Kurthnaga now walking down the steps of the middle structure to approach Ike. When he reached the bottom, he put his hand on Ike's shoulder and asked, "Are you ready for this test, sir Ike?"

"What is it exactly?" asked Ike.

"You have to fight a dragon," said Tenus.

"Exactly," said Kurthnaga smiling. "You have fought every enemy in your training except for a dragon. All we ask is that you hold out until your opponent is to exhausted to stay shifted and you shall pass the test. You will then gain my approval to begin your journey."

"Please tell me this is a joke…" said Ike.

"Good luck," said Tenus now flying away to watch from a safe distance. He then met up with Talos on his perch and asked, "What are his chances?"

"Not sure…" said Talos now doubting. "A dragon can say transformed for a very long time…"

Ike looked around and saw a man step up to the plate. He said, "You don't need to know my name since this will probably be your last moments on this earth."

"Great!" said Ike sarcastically.

With that, the man transformed into a hulking red beast of sheer terror. It was at least forty feet with muscles of pure iron. Without hesitation, the dragon reared its head back and sent out a blast of red energy. Ike dived out of the way landing on his stomach and saw how the ground behind him was totally charred black. He then looked at the dragon who now had its foot right above him and stomped down. Ike rolled on the ground like a dog avoiding all the attempts before he was grabbed by the dragons tail. Now hanging in front of the dragon, Ike dropped his sword as it reared its head back for another fiery blast.

Thinking quickly, Ike grabbed and arrow from his quiver and stabbed it into the underside of the dragon's tail. It screamed in pain and dropped Ike before catching him and squeezing him in his hand. Ike, unsure of what to do, struggled and managed to get an arm loose to grab his sword before being brought back up face to face with the dragon. He then threw his sword at its gaping mouth and it was lodged into its bottom jaw. Dropping Ike because of the pain, he immediately pulled out his bow and tied a rope around it. The dragon slammed his hand down but Ike dodged it with a step to the side and fired at its knee. The dragon kneeled as its exposed knee was pierced by the arrow and Ike climbed up it from the front. He then jumped over the dragons left wing barely missing a lunge from its tail and landed on the ground.

Not affording to waste time, Ike ran around its legs dodging it's clumsy swipes with its arms and pulled as hard as he could. The dragon looked at him and Ike saw the crimson light of its breath beginning to charge. Pouring all his strength into his arms, Ike managed to make the dragon trip and it landed on its left wing causing it to break. He then ran straight for its face, gave it a square kick to knock the sword out of it's mouth, caught the sword, and pointed it at the dragons face. Now transforming back, Ike could hear the spectators cheer at his triumphant victory and it pleased him.

Talos and Tenus immediately flew towards him and Yue ran. They both lifted him in the air and Yue gave out a loud howl as he raised his arms in victory. All the other dragons then began congratulating him and he was filled with relief. Never had he done something so hard before in all of his life.

"Amazing work," said Kurthnaga. "You have gained the my approval and I now await to know who you will bring with you."

"How many can I bring?" asked Ike.

"Not to many I'm afraid," said Kurthnaga. "I would suggest six at the most."

"Then I want Talos and Tenus to be part of that six," said Ike happily.

"There's been a change of plans," said Talos. "Due to circumstances of me being a king, I must stay here with my people. Only Yue and Tenus will be allowed to accompany you."

"What?"

"I'm sorry Ike."

Ike sighed and frowned. He then said, "It's okay, they should be more than plenty."

"That decided," said Kurthnaga. "Who will the remaining four be?"

"The other two will be my teacher of the sword Jacob, and his new apprentice Eric. I would also like to bring my teacher of the bow, Maya. The final spot I am unsure since all I have chosen either taught or grew up with me the first day I was brought into Gallia."

"Then I will choose for you," said Kurthnaga. "You will take my nephew, Rajaion. He is in need of learning the ways of battle to his fullest."

"Thank you," said Ike. "I wish to know when we will depart."

"Tomorrow," answered Kurthnaga. "We had received a message yesterday that Crimea is being invaded. You will meet your friends in Gallia and hasten to Crimea. We cannot allow the final Beorc nation to fall to Parentless hands."


	7. Chapter 7

Location: Oribes Bridge

Year: 1768

Time: Noon (The day before Ike's second test)

Chapter 7: The Immortal Assassin

"General Danato," cried Linde. "Ilana and Salem bridge have both been destroyed!"

"What!" exclaimed Danato. "Why Linde?"

"Queen Maria had ordered: should one of our defenses be overrun, retreat to the fortress gate and set the explosives. It will take out the bridge preventing the enemy from crossing."

"Oribes still stands! As long as I protect it, they will not get further than the bridge's center!"

As archers continued to fire, beasts and Branded continued to pour in. Slaughtered by the hail of arrows, those who survived were met with a quick death from men in heavy armor forming a human wall. They had held of any attack, and it looked like it will continue as so.

"Lady Linde, get up with your knights and tell them to prepare to strafe the enemy," said Danato. I'll break through the heavy armors with my horsemen and run them down. Let's not make this last any longer than needed."

"As you wish," replied Linde. She flew to the end of the bridge and landed on the fortress gate. Atop the gate were two dozen Pegasus Knights ready to attack. Linde went to the barrel of Javelins, and strapped a good half dozen onto her saddle. She then took a spear and looked at her troops. "Ladies," she said "let's take down these beasts for good! Remember to stay in formation and not to fly low. Hopefully, we won't have to get messy if those boys on the horses can finish the rest."

"Prepare to charge," said Danato. "Use only bows until you know you can hit them with your sword." The men charged gallantly shooting in between the heavy armored troops and slaughtering a wave of beasts. They then jumped over the heavily armored men and fired another volley. By this time the Pegasus Knights came sweeping in throwing javelins and spears alike. The survivors of the merciless barrage were then quickly felled by speeding horsemen dashing in and lashing with their weapons. The beasts retreated over the small hill of the plain and Crimea had won.

As soon as Danato was about to congratulate Linde, the fortress gate suddenly exploded. "Impossible!" said Danato. "Those were are own explosives used to destroy the gate and I had even left three squadrons of twelve to defend it."

"I'll go check it out," said Linde.

"General Danato," screamed one of the men. "We have a problem."

As Danato, turned around, he saw four armored tigers dragging down a metal caravan. Behind the caravan was an army of lions quickly advancing down the small hill followed by a single mage. The mage chanted a spell and all the sunlight disappeared and was replaced by clouds. Lightning and thunder then began to flash and roar.

"STEP BACK!" screamed Danto. "REXBOLT!" Danato immediately rallied the men before white lightning in the shape of a colossal dragon exited from the clouds. It hit the ground as quickly as it had left the clouds and all of the armored men were killed. The force of the blast knocked down the archers and swordsmen as well as some of the horsemen. They were then quickly picked of by a rain of crossbow bolts from the armored caravan and lions. With the remaining dozen or so horse men he had left, Danato looked helplessly at the sky as another bolt was about ready to fire and the Pegasus Knights were quickly picked off by the armored caravan.

The bolt struck fifty feet way from Danato, but it was still enough to kill six of his horsemen and knock the rest of them out of their horses. Now running for his life, two more men were shot by the quickly advancing armored caravan and the others taken down by lions. Being the last one left, he ran as fast as he could to the now destroyed fortress gate and managed to reach it. "Linde!" he screamed. "Where are you?"

Danato managed to find her Pegasus standing right next to her motionless body and he felt relief. "Linde!" he screamed. "Linde wake up!"

"General?" questioned Linde just coming to. "What is it?"

"Listen to me very carefully, who did this to you?"

"I don't know…"

"You have to head for Melior and warn Queen Maria, understand?"

"What about you?"

"I'll see if I can still find a way to blow this bridge up," said Danato with a sad smile.

"Your bravery will be remembered general…"

"Good, now get going," said Danato. As Linde flew away, he began to search the rubble. Managing to find a couple of explosives that were not detonated, he climbed up the collapsing stairs to the top of the burning fortress. There, he lied in wait until the metal caravan was right in front of him. When it had reached the burning fortress gate, he dropped the explosives on it causing it to blow in a spectacular fashion. One of the crossbows flew up and Danato caught it happy it was still intact. He immediately aimed at the now chanting mage and shot him right at the neck. Falling over lifeless on the ground, all Danato had to deal with now was the lions.

As he got up, he felt someone grab his back and throw him down the wall. Slowly getting up, he saw a man in brown with a cover on half his face. Shudders entered his body and he said, "You are-

"The _'Immortal _Assassin_' _at your service," said the man. "Unless you managed to pay me twice as much as Daien offered, I think I'll just kill you before you cause anymore damage."

"Don't think it will be that easy."

"I'm not, because it will be beyond that easy."

"I heard you use to work for a man by the name of Bastian before, and he was on Crimea's side. Why don't you join us again?"

"No thanks," said the man taking out a knife and dagger. "Baselard, Peshkatz, it is time to relieve your thirst."

"You'll regret this," said Danato drawing his sword. "Volke."

"I'm quite sure I won't."


	8. Chapter 8

Location: Heaven's Spire, Goldoa

Year: 1768

Time: Evening (7:00 PM Modern)

Chapter 8: The Storyteller

Ike awoke to the sight of the ceiling staring back at him. He then remembered that Kurthnaga had invited him to dinner. He quickly looked out the window and realized that it was already night and well past the appointed time. "Damn!" he said as he got up and ran out the door. He was now an hour late and was running for his life in hope that King Goldoa would not be angry.

Upon reaching an intersection, he quickly veered right and headed straight for the central spire. "_Heaven's Spire_," as Goldoans called it. It was a tall square-shaped building with a top that was never seen for two reasons. In the morning, the sun shone light upon the spire and caused blindness for those who attempted to look. In the evening, clouds always surrounded its pinnacle, making it just as impossible to see. Upon reaching the inner ring, Ike swiftly passed the guards standing at the arch and headed straight for the middle structure. Ike reached the spire out of breath then quickly entered it. He was met by a Goldoan who gladly shook his hand.

"Are you here for the dinner party, sir?" the Goldoan asked politely.

"Yes," said Ike panting. "Yes, I am."

"Alright then." With that, the Goldoan immediately transformed and pointed his head down at the middle of the room. He then let out a savage scream that shocked Ike as he unleashed a beam of fire down the shaft that appeared in the middle of the room. Suddenly, Ike felt the floor begin to rise slowly. He then tripped and fell on his back as the room began to ascend faster and faster. Ike crawled his way near the edge unable to stand due to the tremendous force and looked at the view. It was beautiful. He saw many lights that lit up the city and caused the walls to glow with a golden tinge. The forest was equally beautiful being draped with the color of blue from the night sky. Before he could observe anymore, a cool mist hit his face. He was now passing the thicket of clouds.

Ike got up as the machine began to slow. Upon reaching the top, four Goldoans hooked the machine to keep it from falling and Ike stepped off of it. He was now standing in a large circular room filled with many tables of different shapes and sizes. There were many people ranging from Goldoans to Beorc as well as a few dozen birds. The aroma of the food was strong and Ike saw plenty of choices. From large succulent ribs and a boar roasted on a fire to freshly squeezed juices from fruits. There were plates of many slabs of meat taken from many different parts of animals as well as a variety of condements. Resisting the urge to grab a plate and just begin eating, he searched for King Goldoa. As he walked through the crowd searching, he began to think of how such a large room was being held up by such a thin tower. He quickly turned to look at one of the arches to see the view when a woman bumped into him.

Ike fell back as he tried to regain his senses. He hit her pretty hard.

"Watch it!" she said in an angry tone.

Ike stared in awe, "I-I-I-I'm S-sorry…" Ike had never seen such a beautiful woman. She was one of the bird tribe, but unlike anything Ike had ever seen. Her blonde hair cascaded beautifully down her back all the way to her knees. Her wings were as white as snow glimmering in the light. She wore a tight white dress that shaped her form. She had a perfect body much like Yue's and gorgeous facial features. He green eyes were piercing and Ike felt embarrassed as he got up. He then quickly set himself straight and realized that she was not very tall. He was about a head taller than her and it added to her appeal. _What are you thinking! You have Rachel remember? _He heard a voice say in his head. _But there are so many beautiful women in the main continent! _He heard another voice. _At least ask her name,_ he said to himself.

"Well!" she said as she pouted. "What is it?"

"Wh-What's your name?" Ike said nervously.

"Why would I tell you?"

"You don't have to," said Ike as he stared at her face.

"What are you staring at?"

"S-s-sorry it's just that, you look really pretty."

"Excuse me?" she said as she blushed.

"U-u-um, um, never mind what I said," said Ike as he walked away as quickly as he could.

"You really think so?" she asked now smiling.

_That was a change in her attitude. _Ike thought to himself as he turned around and walked up to her again "Y-yeah, I've never seen anyone so be-

Ike was cut of as he felt something wet against his lips. He was being kissed. His first real kiss. After several seconds, she broke the kiss with a big smile. "You're pretty handsome yourself for a Beorc," she said. "Thanks." The woman then turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait," said Ike. "I didn't get your name!"

"Celest," she said. "My mother said it was the only way to describe my beauty."

As she walked away, Ike felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He turned around and was met by another Goldoan. "Are you Master Ike by any chance?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," answered Ike. "But please, just call me Ike."

"Yes, sir," replied the Goldoan. "Please follow me to King Goldoa's table"

Ike felt ashamed. King Goldoa had to send someone to look for him which was quite embarrassing. _Talos is going to kill me after this feast, _he thought to himself. Ike quickly reached a table that was suspended over the side of the circular room. Ike was amazed that it was floating until he realized that the table was underneath a glass floor. He quickly scanned the table and saw a calm Tenus drinking water from a glass sitting on the left side of the table. Right across from him was Talos. He had his eyes closed as he shook his head in embarrassment. At the end of the table was King Goldoa sitting calmly in front of two empty chairs on each side of the table. The closest chair to the left was occupied by Yue who was sitting with her usual innocent look on her face. The chair to the right was occupied by a man that Ike found very interesting. Ike stared at him; he was just like the bird woman he met earlier.

"Welcome Ike," said Kurthnaga. "Please, take a seat to my right."

"Yes sir," Ike said as he hurried himself to his spot.

"I would like to introduce you to my wife, Sayrine," said Kurthnaga pointing to the other end of the table.

"It's nice to meet you Lady Sayrine," said Ike politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," she said with a smile. "So you are the great Ike that my husband speaks so highly of?"

"I guess so…" Ike answered a little flustered as he looked into her orange eyes.

"No need to be embarrassed. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will not talk about it."

"Thank you my lady."

"Anyway," said Kurthnaga. "This man is-

"Reyson," said the man cutting off Kurthnaga. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," said Ike.

"Reyson here," said Kurthnaga, "is who I wanted you to meet. He wants to introduce you to someone."

"You're the Reyson from back one thousand years ago?" said Ike shocked.

"That is him alright," said Kurthnaga. "In the flesh. He has not aged one day."

"But I know I do not have much time left…" said Reyson.

"Why would you say that?" asked Ike.

"Though my body does not look it, I am old," said Reyson. "Everyday is starting to feel like a struggle for me just to get up. I had to be escorted by Talos, and if he flew too swiftly, he risked my health."

"I see…" said Ike.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you about our greatest trump card in the war."

"What is it?"

"It is the Storyteller."

"The Storyteller?"

"Yes, he knows everything. He will be your greatest helper."

Kurthnaga quickly stood up and took a close look at Ike. Talos and Tenus quickly followed as well as Yue.

"What is it?" asked Ike.

"Visiting the Storyteller can be a hazard to your life," said Sayrine.

"Excuse me?" said Ike. "Could you repeat that?"

"It means you could die, idiot!" said Tenus. "But if you can get him to work for us, he would be a great ally."

"Then I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" questioned Talos. "The moment you are sure, there is no turning back."

"Of course I am," said Ike. "Any help we can get would be good."

"Then you shall go," said Kurthnaga. "I cannot go for I must stay in this feast. But Talos and company can go with you."

"I understand," replied Ike. "Let's go there now then."

"Now that you have made your decision," said Reyson. "I must head back to Gallia."

"Your escort is waiting for you at the foot of the tower White Prince," said Sayrine. "Travel well."

"Thank you."

XXXXX

Ike's feet touched the ground as Talos slowly descended. He was quickly followed by Yue who immediately transformed after hitting the ground. They walked through the darkness of the woods and Ike felt a little nervous. He also realized that he didn't even get a chance to eat anything. "All that food," he said. "And I didn't get a single bite. You guys were lucky."

"What are you talking about?" asked Tenus. "Me and Talos as well as everybody else didn't even get a bite to eat. Kurthnaga said it was alright to begin eating but Talos here told me not to."

"Then who ate all the food on the table?" asked Ike.

Tenus smiled and pointed in front of him. Ike looked and couldn't believe it. "You're kidding right?" he said.

"Nope," said Tenus with a smile. "She ate enough for six men. She hasn't eaten anything for almost a weak after all, thanks to you."

"Talos! Even you can't eat that much!" said Ike surprised.

"What can I say," said Talos. "She likes her meat more than I do."

"This is it," said Tenus looking at a dark cave.

"Good luck you two," said Talos.

"Wait, you two aren't going with me?" asked Ike nervously.

"Besides the fact it's too dark for us birds," said Talos. "We'd get slaughtered if we went in there. It's all up to you and Yue."

Yue began to whimper and back up.

"What's her problem?" asked Ike.

"I don't think she wants to go down there…" said Tenus surprised.

"I guess you're on your own Ike," said Talos. "Listen carefully to what I say, understand?"

"Y-yes," said Ike scared.

"The Storyteller's mind has been warped due to his old age, but he is your best ally. About fifty years ago, a boy named Ike much like yourself was killed when he took the same challenge you did. The reason was because the Storyteller did not like the way he looked. So I suggest you cover up your face."

"Understood," said Ike as he peered down the descending cave. He then began to walk. In a matter of minutes, all of his companions were no longer in sight.

XXXXX

Ike was scared. He had never been to any place with such an eerie feeling. It was humid yet cold like ice. He could hear water dripping from the cave's ceiling and every trickle caused him to panic. He looked forward and saw a lone torch next to a door. Upon reaching it, he creaked it open and went inside. He was now in a large dome-like room with junk piled everywhere. There were thousands of torn pages from books and writing in the old tongue on the walls. Before he could take another step, walls of ice began to form around him. From out of nowhere an old man's image appeared in the ice. He held a very large, intricate looking tome in his hands. His outfit had a grey tinge to it and he was covered from head to toe. Ike realized he was also surrounded by many other tomes that revolved around him. "Who are you?" the man asked in a decrepit voice.

Ike gulped then answered, "I-I-Ike!"

"Ike?" said the old man. "It can't be. Let me see your face."

Ike remembered Talos' warning and said, "I-I-I'd r-rather n-n-n-not."

"So you are not Ike if you do not show me your face," said the man. "You must be a fake like the one fifty years ago! I've had enough of lies! LEAVE ME ALONE! I JUST WANT THAT MEMORY TO GO AWAY! LIFE HAS PREVENTED MY DEATH FOR SO LONG! I WISH I HAD REPAID HIM FOR ALL HE'S DONE FOR ME BEFORE HE DIED! STOP FEEDING MY HOPES OF HIM STILL BEING ALIVE! DIE! DIE! DIE!

"Oh, please no…" said Ike as a giant gust of wind began to spin around the ice wall. It then began to draw closer until Ike could hear the ice buckling from the stress being inflicted to it by the wind. As the shards began to fly in every direction, one hit Ike right in the leg and he let out a shriek.

"O-o-ouch!" said Ike as he pulled it out of his leg. He then began to run as fast as he could towards the old man. He made a wild swing missing completely as the old man jumped to his left and kicked him in the back. The old man had now started chanting and fire began to phase into his hands. He quickly launched it at Ike who was now staring in shock.

Ike quickly jumped out of the way and landed on his stomach. He quickly got up and dove again after a piece of ice landed exactly where he was standing. Upon getting back up on his feet, Ike pulled out his bow and released an arrow. It surprised him as the arrow bounced off of the old man's body harmlessly. He quickly dove to the side as a chunk of ice flew towards him and fired three more arrows with no effect. He continued to fire arrows while ducking, jumping, and rolling out of the way from chunks of ice and balls of fire until he was out. After spending every arrow he had, Ike rushed in with his sword hoping to hit the man on his second attempt. Before he had the chance to make a move, a gust of air hit him in the gut like a club.

The old man stepped to his right as Ike tried to attack after the hit to the stomach. He quickly punched Ike in the back with a fist full of lightning, causing him to scream in pain. After turning around, the old man began to effortlessly avoid all of Ike's swings while periodically punching him with fists of lightning.

Ike needed an idea. He was ready to drop at any moment and every time it seemed he would hit the old man, he was hit by a powerful attack out of nowhere. It seemed as if there was no way to beat the old man. He was stronger than anybody Ike ever fought, with the exception of Talos. Ike continued to speed up his swings, giving the old man as little time to chant his spells as possible. Ike began to notice that his rapid swinging seemed to have an effect and he continued to speed up. As fast as the old man was, he finally tired and Ike hit him right on the shoulder.

The old man grasped his shoulder and looked at the blood trickling down. Eyes wide, he quickly looked at Ike. Ike backed up as he saw the wrath building up in the old man's eyes. He felt a powerful gust of wind rupture from the old man's body and he tried to hold his ground. He buried his sword into the ground so that he wouldn't be blown away and he kneeled. He quickly thought to himself, _The moment I let go I'm a goner_. Pillars of ice began to rise around Ike and the old man as diamond dust began to soar around the vortex. Ike was now beginning to shiver from the cold and he began to feel weak as the dust began to touch him. He quickly looked up in surprise as the dust that was just on him was now floating towards the old man's shoulder and healing it.

One of Ike's hands lost its grip as it began to go numb from the cold. Suddenly an idea came to him. He remembered a story Tenus told him.

"_He's called the Silent Master of Winds before he was the Storyteller and he was only close to one person," said Tenus._

"_Who was that?" asked Ike._

"_The Hero of the Blue Flames. Ike himself," Tenus answered._

_Maybe that's the reason he killed the last Ike who went in. He didn't look like the original hero. It's my only hope, _Ike thought. He poured all the strength into his numbing arm to no avail. It would not budge, but Ike continued to try as he saw the old man launch a ball of fire into the wallof wind causing it to ignite. The flames began to gather at the top of the raging firestorm forming a colossal dragon's head. _Either I hold on for dear life and get burned by that dragon head or let go and get blown into a wall of fire, _he thought. He quickly frowned as he tightened his grip on the sword's pommel and stared at his arm. Ike let out a savage scream as he lunged forward biting his right arm, causing it to bleed. The pain caused his grip to loosen but he did not let go and his left arm's numbness began to fade. He quickly put his arm on his head and took off the hood, revealing his face clearly to the old man.

All of the enchantments quickly stopped and the old man stared deeply into Ike's eyes. "I-I-Ike," he said with tears now flooding down his cheeks.

"Soren," said Ike, confused and unsure of how the name came to him. "Your name is Soren, correct? I came here to ask if you would join my army."

"Of course," he said as a staff from the table flew to his hand. The old man quickly healed Ike's wounds and said, "I will use my knowledge any way I can to help you on the battlefield. It has been so long since I've seen that face. If only you were really him, then I could thank him for all that he's done."

"Fighting wouldn't be so bad either," said Ike rubbing his shoulder. "You're really good with those tomes. And I'm sure wherever the old Ike is, he has already acknowledged what you have to say."

"I can only hope," said Soren. "But heed my warning that my body is too old for extended combat. I cannot assist you in fighting for long periods."

"I understand. Well, it doesn't matter. Your help will still be appreciated."

"Then let us go."

"Let's."

"Oh, before we do go," said Soren now levitating a sword wrapped in cloth into his hand. "I have kept this in perfect condition waiting for your return."

Ike unwrapped the cloth to reveal a blade with a golden brown hilt. It was heavy. Ike pulled the sword out of its sheath revealing a blue blade with a silver edge. The pommel was wrapped in leather and there were markings in the old tongue written on the blade. "It's heavy," he said. "I don't think I can wield it properly…"

Soren laughed, "That blade is called Ettard. It says: 'May my opponents meet a worthy death.'

"It's a good blade," said Ike. "But I don't think I could use it effectively."

"I believe you will," said Soren with a smile.

XXXXXX

Author Notes:

For those who have read this story and followed along, thank you. This is my first work so I understand that there are many flaws.

Anyway, back to the point. I will post chapters less fequently now since my stash of 12 chapters has almost been all posted. School is killer and it will probably be a long time before I write and post all 20 chapters for Part 1. I ask that you please bear with me in these hard times of mine.

Finally, on a more interesting note, I have taken actual skills from both FE9 and FE10 and implemented them into this story. Most of their descriptions are vague, but it is fun trying to find them. If you are bothering to try, here are some that I have put in the story: Deadeye, Halfshift and, Formshift. Of course these are obvious ones, there are many more and I will not be giving you anymore clues.


	9. Chapter 9

Location: Bird's Nest, Gallia

Year: 1768

Time: Late Morning (11:35 AM/One day after destruction of Oribes Bridge)

Chapter 9: The Final Piece

"This is amazing!" said Ike looking up at the towering trees. "I never knew such a place existed."

"The trees are just for decoration," said Tenus. "You might not believe it, but most of us birds live on the ground."

"So," said Ike. "Why are we here? We should be heading to Isaiya Pass to meet up with Maya and the others."

"I came here to recruit our last member," replied Tenus. "It won't take too long."

"Good," said Ike.

"I would like to see your father Tenus," said Soren. "I wish to speak with him before you introduce us to this person you want to bring with us."

"As you wish master Soren," said Tenus bowing. "We shall go immediately."

As they continued to walk, Ike finally saw the many wounded birds that Talos continued to talk about. He wondered how it felt to be going extinct. This was the situation wasn't it? The branded were superior in their ways of strategy and combat. They have built war machines Tenus had mentioned that could easily turn the tide of battle to their advantage no matter how grim the situation. They could also easily overpower and outsmart a Beorc.

Ike then began to ponder his thoughts. He remembered Talos telling him that one branded was easily worth three Beorc, more if they were stronger. There was also the beasts to consider. Everyday, they lived in a safe environment where they did not need to fight. That was a big difference from the wolves and birds compared to the beasts. The beasts only fought when needed, which was not a whole lot. On the other hand, the birds and wolves are forced to fight just to live for one more day. Hope was something that was very rare among them. True, Tenus always smiled, but Ike remembered Tenus telling him the only reason he does it is to keep his mother and Imea feeling secure. How much longer could Tenus keep this happy act up. How much longer could he keep this positive attitude, Ike thought to himself.

As his mind began to swirl with thoughts, Ike pushed them all away and looked behind him. He stared at the young fourteen year old boy walking next to Yue. As the boy looked back at him, Ike was unsure what to say. "Are you ever going to talk to me?" he finally asked.

The boy nodded his head, his raven black hair swishing back and fourth. Ike looked at him and wondered if he could really fight. Kurthnaga had said that he must learn how to master the ways of combat, Ike remembered. That must mean he can fight. Or at least, Ike hoped so. He was as quiet as Yue the only difference being that he could speak the modern tongue. "Well," said Ike, "just call my name if you need anything."

The boy nodded once more.

By now, the five of them had reached a tall tree with a large opening. "I'm sorry," said Tenus but children are not allowed up this sacred tree. So you will have to wait here Rajaion…"

"It's alright…" the boy finally spoke. "I have enough patience for that."

"Then let us go," said Soren. "I must speak with your father immediately."

As they climbed, Ike glanced at Yue and said, "You should revert back. I think it would be a more respectful thing to do."

Yue quickly stood on two legs and in a matter of moments, she was back to her normal beautiful human form. Ike could not help but stare. Her face was truly a pleasant sight for the eyes. Her hair flowed freely down to her back right above her waist and she had gorgeous, emotionless, brown eyes that added to her appeal. Her nose was the perfect shape, she had small yet not too small lips, and her chin was very defined. Ike began to think that he chose a good outfit for her. It defined her lean physique as she walked up the stairs. She had a perfect body. Ike looked at her exposed waist and saw no fat whatsoever and her legs were well shaped. Ike did not have to see all of them, the small amount the long skirt revealed was more than plenty enough to prove that fact. Ike then moved his eyes to her swaying hips. She had a very round bottom. It was not large, but it was very attractive. Upon finishing his inspection, Ike moved his eyes to her upper body. Much like her legs, her arms had no fat and were just as well sculpted and slender as her legs. _What kind of training did King Volug make her do to get such a perfect body? _Ike thought to himself. Ike quickly remembered the first time he met Yue. She was naked; and though she did not have a large chest, her genetics were kind to her. He then began to wonder how she managed to even have a bust with her workout.

Ike tripped and quickly realized that what he was thinking about was something he shouldn't have. He quickly looked up at Yue and turned away when he saw her turn around to look at him. _She's truly a divine being. Her curves are petite but still enough to attract any man be it Beorc or Laguz, _Ike thought, _but her beauty did not stun me speechless compared to that bird woman. It's as if she was truly a goddess in human form, but her beauty was different from Yue's. I just can't think of what made it different._

"She wants to know if you prefer her in human form," said Tenus as Yue whispered in his ear. She turned red in embarrassment then quickly hit Tenus in anger.

"Are you talking to me?" Ike asked.

"He's not talking to me," said Soren who was walking beside Ike.

"I guess she didn't want me to say that out loud…" said Tenus rubbing the back of his head.

"I do prefer her in human form," said Ike.

Yue was shocked and her faced turned a bright red once more. She said something to Tenus that Ike could not understand.

"Do you understand them?" Ike asked Soren.

"I only know enough for spells," said Soren. "Besides, even if I did know, why would I care about this random babbling about beauty?"

"Same here," said Tenus. "Anyway, she said, 'Really? He prefers me in human form?'"

"Yes, I do, you're…" said Ike hesitating. "You're a very beautiful woman."

Yue smiled and said something to Ike as she quickly hugged him. Ike entered a state of panic. The only woman who use to have this effect on him was Rachel. But it seems now that he was being affected by many other women. He put his hands on her waist causing her to gasp and blush. He realized his mistake and he quickly moved his hands to her shoulders and yanked her off him.

"She says she will stay in human form for now on unless in battle to satisfy you," said Tenus. "She also said that that comment just made her l-

Tenus was cut off as Yue's foot hit him in the face. "Grow stronger," he finished now rubbing his cheek.

"Whatever it is you were trying to say," said Ike. "I'm sure it wasn't that important. Let's just get back to the task at hand."

"Whatever you say," said Tenus.

"I see one thing that you got from the original Ike," said Soren smiling.

"What's that?" Ike asked.

"Absolutely nothing," answered Soren.

XXXXX

"Without further delay," said Tenus. "I would like all of you to meet my mother."

"Where is she?" asked Ike.

Soren quickly made his way to the woman standing next to Tenus and shook her hand.

Ike could not believe it. "That's your mom?" he screamed. "She looks no older than you!"

"Getting to the point," said Tenus with a somewhat annoyed look on his face, "in order to speak to my father, you require my mother's permission."

"It has been a very long time lady Leanne," said Soren. "I assume you have already read my heart and know what it is I desire?"

"If it is not Soren," said Leanne. "How long has it been since I've last seen you?"

"About three-hundred years."

"I am very aware of what you desire, but I am not sure he or my son will agree to it."

"So you are saying you will agree with it?"

"My husband talks to me of how he wishes to be free. He mentions that my desperate attempt to keep him here is only for the sake of our people's sanity. He is our last fighting symbol from the old world after all."

"I completely understand," said Soren now beginning to whisper to Leanne. "That is why I will not ask you to perform this ritual unless you and him are confident and sure of your decision."

"Should we ask him now?" questioned Leanne.

"Ike," said Soren turning around. "Whatever I say beyond this point you must respect, understand? It will be for the best of our group."

"Alright," said Ike.

"Then I will return shortly," said Leanne.

"Do they know each other?" Tenus asked Ike. "From how they talked, it seemed like they knew each other very well."

"I have no idea…" Ike answered. "Your mom is like Prince Reyson from the party at Goldoa. She looks like and absolute divine figure. I've never seen such beautiful birds."

"The reason she looks like Reyson is because he's my uncle," said Tenus.

"That was a good joke," said Ike now laughing.

"I'm being serious, you idiot!" shouted Tenus.

"What? You are?" said Ike in disbelief.

"They are both from a race of birds called Herons. My sister is a heron as well. She is the woman I wanted you to meet."

"Then why do you look like a savage but your relatives look like angels?" asked Ike now scratching his head.

"Because the fighting blood of a Raven was dominant within him when he was conceived," answered Soren. "Correct?"

"Precisely," said Tenus.

"Does that mean your father is a Raven?" Ike asked another question.

"Yes he is," said Tenus. "And once my mother brings him here you can see for yourself."

XXXXX

"Here he is," said Leanne holding a frail old man's arm over her shoulder. Tenus quickly ran to his father and grabbed his other arm and they moved him to a chair. He was very old. Ike could see no less then a dozen wrinkles on his face as well as liver spots. His black, beady eyes seemed lifeless and his silver hair reached down to his knees. His wings were a grayish blue and had very little feathers. "Is that you Soren?" he asked in a very frail voice.

"Yes it is lord Naesala," said Soren, "and I have a favor to ask of you."

"I believe I already know what it is," said Naesala as he looked down at the ground. "I do not approve of your plan."

"Why not?" asked Soren.

"Am I the only one as confused as you?" Ike asked Tenus as Yue shook her head.

Tenus looked at Yue before saying, "I don't think so."

"I am a figure to the bird tribe. After Tibarn's death, many had believe that the old world would ceased to exist. I cannot die until balance is restored to the world. I am living proof that there used to be bright days in the pass and that there will be more in the future. I cannot die until that day has arrived."

"Then consider this proposition," said Soren. "First let me ask: You wish to die correct?"

"Stop it!" screamed Tenus. "Why are you talking like that to my father?"

"Know your place, boy!" said Soren. "You will get no say in this!"

"That's completely unfair!" said Ike. "At least don't talk about his father's death in front of him."

"What did you promise me earlier Ike? I ask because you are breaking it right now," said Soren with a frustrated look on his face.

"I'm sorry…" said Ike angrily.

"Before you were interrupted by my son," said Naesala. "What was your proposition."

"I wish for lady Leanne to use the Galdrar of Release to free your life force then use the Galdrar of Rebirth to infuse it with your son. That way, he will grow stronger, giving us a big advantage in future skirmishes. It will also show that your sacrifice was for the belief of a bright future. Just think of how morale would rise if they knew the spirit of the mighty Naesala fought once more in the battlefield."

"Putting it that way," said Naesala. "It is very hard to refuse. I guess I have little choice but to accept."

"But that would kill him!" said Tenus.

"To make you stronger and to give us a better chance of victory," said Soren. "Do not waste the sacrifice of a man that could change the outcome of a war!"

"Enough Soren," said Naesala. "I will let him decide. If he agrees, I would like you to give Ike my gift Leanne. I won't be around by then."

"As you wish my dear," said Leanne sadly. "When, exactly?"

"When you believe he is worthy enough," answered Naesala

"Tenus," said Ike, "think about this carefully."

Tenus grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Tears flowed out of his eyes and he looked to his mother. She had a smile on her face, but he knew it was just a cover. If he agreed, his mother's beloved would be parted from her. He then began to remember that his mother had always said she would die alone. By the time she was old, her husband would be dead and Tenus himself would be off fighting for her safety. He knew she would be sad, but this was what was best for the whole world, he had to consider that. He looked up at his father and wiped off his tears. "I accept…" he said.

Tenus looked at his mother who closed her eyes and smiled. She put her forehead against Naesala's and gave him a kiss. She broke the kiss after several seconds and tears began to flow from her eyes. "Travel well," she said to him.

"I will," said Naesala reaching to hold Leanne's hands. As she sang, his body ceased to move and a ghostly aura exited from it. Continuing to sing, the aura began to encircle Tenus. It slowly drew closer to him until he could feel it's warmth and it entered his body. He screamed and a blinding light filled the room.

Ike opened his eyes as the light flashed and he gazed at Tenus. He looked different, much more calm and collected. His eyes no longer showed their usual childish humor and he had an apathetic look on his face. "How do you feel?" asked Ike.

"Good," said Tenus flexing his arm. "I feel great…" He looked at his mother who was still crying as she stared at him. He immediately hugged her and she spoke in his ear.

"Before you arrived, I had told your sister to wait for you at the fountain. I did not believe you would come to me. She should still be waiting there."

"Thank you mother, I promise to return when Crimea has been saved."

"Don't make a promise unless you can keep it…"

XXXXX

"Are you really Tenus?" asked Rajaion as they walked towards the fountain.

"He is," answered Soren. "Just less childish."

"As long as you haven't change…" said Ike and Yue nodded her head in agreement.

"I haven't change," Tenus said with a smile. "I still consider you my rival."

"Good!" said Ike. "Anyway, what's your sister's name?"

"Celest," answered Tenus. "She would be about four years younger than you in Beorc years.

_Why does it seem like I've heard that before?_ Ike thought. As they approached the fountain, he was shock to see the person who was sitting on one of the rocks. _She's Tenus' sister? _he thought.

"She was at the party at Goldoa," said Tenus, "but she was not present at the table. Now I can introduce you to her."

Celest woke up as she felt a hand on her cheek and quickly smiled. "Tenus!" she said as she jumped and clung on to him. "I've missed you," she said still hanging on to him from the hug.

"I've only been gone for a day," said Tenus.

"I still missed you…" said Celest.

"Anyway, I want you to meet Ike," said Tenus moving out of the way so she could see him.

Both Ike and Celest looked at each other carefully. They both squinted their eyes before opening them in shock. "No way!" They both said. "I know you!"

"You do?" said Tenus dumbfounded.

Celest quickly grabbed Ike's arm and pressed her body against his. She did not waste any time in immediately pressing her lips against his. Ike was shocked but did not resist. He looked to his right noticing a smiling Soren. He then quickly looked to his left and saw a somewhat upset looking Tenus and angry looking Yue.

"What's the matter?" Celest asked Tenus.

"Why did you DO THAT?" Tenus screamed.

"Because people always stare at me but never say anything," Celest answered. "He was the first one to compliment me. So I promised myself I would marry him."

"Come again?" said Ike and Tenus at the same time.

"You heard what I said," Celest answered.

"We'll talk about this later," said Tenus. "For now, stop acting like a child and let's get a move on. We need to meet up with the others at Isaiya Pass as soon as possible."

"Alright!" said Celest happily as she picked up her small sack and began to walk with them. She quickly looked at Yue and smirked. "I'll get to break him in before you do," she said. "You won't stand a chance!"

Yue clenched her fists resisting the fact that she wanted to maul her pretty face right off her head.

"By the way brother," said Celest. "Have you spoken to father? I know that something is bothering you. You feel different, and when you feel different, you usually speak with father."

Tenus sighed and turned to look at Celest. "It's a long story," he said. "I'll tell you while we make our way to Isaiya…


	10. Chapter 10

Location: Isole Forest

Year: 1768

Time: Late Afternoon( 4:55 PM/ Three days after destruction of Oribes bridge)

Chapter 10: Raze, Warrior of Gallia

Ike continued to gaze at the path ahead of him. He then turned his attention to Tenus who had a big smile on his face. "You really want us to go through Isole Forest?" Ike asked. "That's suicide!"

"It's the fastest way," said Tenus. "If you want Crimea to fall, then by all means, go around."

"I agree with Tenus," said Soren. "Crimea's victory hinges upon our arrival. You know that each of us is worth more than thrity Crimean soldiers Ike. Our presence will lead them to victory. Besides, being so powerful means nothing in this forset could stop us."

"If you put it that way," said Ike. "I guess you're right."

"I disagree," said Celest. "Father, oops! I mean brother, you should trust your little sister's instincts."

Yue nodded her head in agreement though she did not want to.

"We don't have time. It's the only way," said Ike. He then lifted his foot and hesitated to set it flat in front of him. The moment he did, he continued to walk forward and the light from the setting sun began to dim. He glanced only once at the now disappearing light from the entrance as he continued to walk. It was quiet. Too quiet. Not a single thing in the forest seemed out of balance. Ike wondered who was brave enough to build the path through this forsaken area. The trees were tall and oddly shaped creating an eerie feeling. The leaves sprouting from both the branches and the bushes had a purple hue which was unnatural. Though the path was obvious, Ike realized, that, like the rest of the forest, grass grew on the fresh soil. It was an intense green color and he would find the occasional flower tucked in the thick patches of grass. They were roses that shined a sparkling orange creating illumination in the low lit forset. It plastered the white trunks of the oddly shaped trees with elegant designs. _Is this place magical? _Ike questioned himself in his thoughts.

"I do not like this…" Rajaion broke the silence.

"What's the matter? Afraid kid?" teased Tenus.

"Quiet!" Ike whispered to Tenus. "What's the problem?"

"I feel like something is watching us…" Rajaion answered quietly.

"As do I…" said Soren.

"What's watching us?" asked Ike.

"Beasts," answered Tenus.

"Switch postions," said Ike. "Soren guard the rear and keep Rajaion close. Tenus, Yue, cover Lady Celest." Ike quickly drew his sword and began to walk extremely cautiously. He scanned every sign of movement. Nothing. There was not one in sight. "Are you sure there are Beasts…" he asked Tenus.

"Positive," said Tenus. "You can't see them, but you better belive they're there."

As they continued to walk Tenus felt a sharp pain underneath his foot. He had stepped on what felt like a small spike and it went through his shoe. He quickly tumbled to the ground and fainted. "Damn!" exclaimed Ike.

Yue quickly transformed and Soren slammed his hands on th ground causing a wave of fire to erupt. Rajaion was tackled by a tiger who he quickly caught as he transformed. He threw the tiger at a tree knocking it out cold and blasted a stream of ebon energy at it.

Ike could now see beasts jumping out of the bushes and trees now charging there small phalanx. The forest burned as Soren continued to launch jets of fire at rushing beatsts. One lunged at Ike, but he quickly ducked and buried his sword in the cat's stomach as it was above him. Now lying on the ground, another beast made a jump for him. He quickly rolled to the left and swung his sword, jamming it in the cats legs. He then saw Yue bite the cat at the neck and break it.

Soren launched wave after wave of fire burning cats and tigers to cynders as Rajaion beat them to contorted shapes with his fists. Yue jumped back to avoid a tiger's crushing jaw. She quickly rushed the beast and ducked underneath it's massive swinging claws before piercing its throat with her fangs. Using her immense strength, she dug her fangs deep into it's throat to get a good grip as she threw the body at a group of incoming cats.

"Keep moving forward!" screamed Ike who was now carrying Tenus on his back. "Stay behind me Celest! Look for a lion! If you kill their leader they'll retreat!"

Yue scanned the surroundings and didn't hesitate to break out of formation and rush the hoard. She cut a bloody path for them to continue on through as Rajaion and Soren covered their back. Celest stayed quiet, following Ike's orders as she stood right behind him. She could make out something in the path that Yue was paving and she screamed. "Wolf-woman!" she said. "Watch out!"

It was to late.

Yue felt her feet rise from the ground as she dislocated a cat's jaw with a powerful swipe. By the time she noticed, she was high up in the trees suspended by a large net. She tried to claw her way out with little success until she reverted back and gave up.

"YUE!" screamed Ike as he ducked under a jumping cat. He quickly flipped it over his back and plunged his sword into its exposed belly. "Celest!" he screamed. "Hang on to Tenus!"

Soren turned to look at what Rajaion was doing and quickly unleashed a blast of fire at a tiger on the tree right above Rajaion. Soren was shocked as he saw Rajaion crush another tiger against a tree before reverting back. He was kneeling on the ground and quickly swept by rushing tigers. They then dragged him into the darkness of the forest and he disappeared. Soren turned around meeting a tiger face to face. It knocked his tome right out of his hand and he quickly removed his staff from his back. He whipped the tiger in the face repeatedly before stabbing it through the jaw. Soren then began to cough.

Ike noticed that more and more of the beasts that began to jump out of the bushes were in human form. He looked back and saw Soren coughing from exhaustion and now being surrounded by beasts. He also noticed that Rajaion was nowhere in sight. Ike faced Celest who was struggling with Tenus' body and then at the rushing hoard. Not sure what to do, he dropped his weapon. "We surrender!" he said just a Celest sprang a trap. She was quickly hoisted up by the net and was stuck in the trees.

"Enough!" Ike heard a voice.

_He screams Yue's name but not my name…_, thought Celest.

"You must be the great hero," said a cloaked figure walking out of the bushes. "Ike I presume?"

"Yes," answered Ike. "And who are you."

"Raze," the figure said. "Warrior of Gallia."

"Please…" said Ike. "We need safe passage through your forest."

"You decimated my men and my forest. You expect me to just let you go?"

"Allow my friends in the trees freedom as well as the ones your men are holding and we might negotiate."

"No negotiation. I will let you free if you beat the men I will present to you."

"A duel?"

"Correct, here are your choices." Razed snapped her fingers and a lumbering blue tiger jumped over the bushes. It was massive, bigger then anything Ike had ever seen. On Raze's other side, a brown lion appeared. It was even more intimidating than the tiger. It was about three heads taller than Raze who was about a head shorter then himself.

"So I can choose between these two?" said Ike trying to hide his nervousness.

"Three actually," said Raze now removing her cloak. Ike was surprised to see a ripped pair of pants. He then observed the remaining beasts who began to transform and realized they were very poorly dressed. _That's odd… _Ike thought. _I've never seen such poorly dressed beasts._ Upon looking back at Raze, Ike's face lit up like a cherry. Raze was a woman.

"What's the matter," she said. "Choose who you want to fight. Kisca, Trian, or me."

"O-o-okay," said Ike now staring at Raze. He realized that the pants were much shorter. They were almost like a pair of underwear rather than actual clothes. She had a skinny body and her bust was only covered by bandages tightly wrapped around her chest. She had a very memorable face. It looked angry, yet Ike knew that somewhere inside her, there was kindness. She also didn't have much hair for a woman. Only the back part reached her shoulders while the reast sat on her head like an organized mess underneath a piece of cloth draping over her head to conceal her ears. Ike looked at the red choker she wore that had two laces with bells tied at the end. It was long and reached all the way down to her ankles. This caused Ike to remember something Tenus had told him.

"_Did you know that Lethe had a sister?" asked Tenus._

"_No," answered Ike. "Talos never told me that."_

"_That's because her and a man named Ranulf as well as a few beasts escaped to Isole Forest when the remaining beasts were driven out of Gallia. Laguz tell of many tales that it is a forsaken place and all those who ventured there would be doomed."_

"_What's the point of this?"_

"_Just Imagine if there is no curse in Isole forest. Nobody who goes in ever comes out. What if all this time those beasts who ran away have been living in seclusion? There could be a whole army of beasts willing to help us in there. Untouched by war and eager to fight."_

"_I suppose that could be possible…" said Ike. "Laguz choose their leader by strength, correct?"_

"_Yes," said Tenus. "Why do you ask?"_

"_No reason at all…" said Ike._

Ike quickly came back to his senses and looked at Raze. "Do you know who your ancestors are?" he asked Raze.

"Yes," she said confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Laguz choose their leaders by strength, and I assume you are the strongest. I believe you are the descendant of Lyre and Ranulf, which means you must be absurdly powerful. You are the beasts driven to the boarders of Gallia due to the fact the Wolves, Dragons, and Birds feared your betrayal."

"That is correct," said Raze somewhat surprised. "And now we live a life of peace amongst the trees."

"I ask that you fight with us. Together, we can set the world back the way it is suppose to be. Is that not what you want?"

"It is."

"Then I offer you this chance to join us and help liberate Crimea."

"You are free to pass," said Raze, now with a different expression on her face. "But my people stay here. They will not fight. No exception. Now hurry before I change my mind."

"As you wish," said Ike. "It was merely an offer. Thank you for letting us pass."

As Ike and his company were freed, the beasts parted and he saw the light of the moon and the exit. They quickly ran out and were bathed by the moon's light. They looked back once at the now shrinking forest as they continued to walk.

"Thank you lord Ike," said Rajaion.

Ike was somewhat surprised that he was acknowledged by Rajaion. "You're thanking me for what?" he asked.

"For keeping a level head and getting us out of an impossible situation," said Rajaion.

"I agree," said Soren. "That was very well done."

"M-me t-t-to," Ike heard an unfamiliar voice. He turned around and looked at Yue.

"The wolf-woman!" said Celest shocked.

"You do have a beautiful voice," Ike said.

Yue quickly hugged Ike's arm. He tried to pull her off of him, but he quickly gave up as he learned he could not overpower her. Yue quickly looked behind her at Celest who was lugging around Tenus' unconscious body. While still wrapped around Ike's arm, she looked at Celest and gave her a blank stare.

_Enjoy it while you can…_, thought Celest.

"Ike!" a voice echoed. Ike turned around to see Raze running out of the forest with a brown pack slung over her shoulder.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Ike.

"I said _MY_ people would stay there," Raze answered. "I never said anything about me."

"So you're coming with us?" Ike asked another question.

"That's the plan," Raze answered once more.

"Then welcome to the team," said Soren.

xxxxx

A few words from me to my few readers. For those of you who still read this story, I'm sorry for the long time between the last update and this one. I have been really busy and unmotivated lately so I ask all of you again to bear with me. I promise that I will release another chapter to this story within the next month. Thank you for all your support!


	11. Chapter 11

Location: Isaiya Pass

Year: 1768

Time: Noon(12:00/Four days after destruction of Oribes Bridge)

Chapter 11: Looming Misfortune

"Jacob, take a look at this," said Maya looking over the cliff.

Jacob wormed his way from the bushes and crawled up next to Maya. He looked back and noticed that his apprentice, Eric, was trying to follow him. "Stay there Eric," said Jacob.

"But-

"No buts," Jacob cut him of. "You're still pretty new to all of this. I would rather you escape then get spotted. Anyway, what is it Maya?"

"Take a look over there," said Maya motioning her head. "Ilana and Salem Bridge have fallen and Oribes' gate has been toppled. Do you see the flood of troops crossing? The situation is worse than I thought."

"And take a look at all those tents," said Jacob. "There must be thousands."

"One hundred," said Maya suddenly.

"What does that mean?" questioned Jacob.

"While you guys were setting camp in the pass hour, I've been counting how many men have crossed. If about a hundred can cross in an hour, then we can assume that about twenty-four hundred cross in a day. Then, if we consider how long they've been crossing for…"

"I get it. There's a lot of them. Victory just continues to feel more and more impossible."

"Then let's make it feel possible again," said Maya now looking at Jacob.

"What do you mean?" asked Jacob now looking worried.

"The camps only two miles away. Scaling down the cliff should only take a couple oh hours. We could be there by early afternoon."

"There you go again!" said Jacob frustrated.

"What's the matter?" asked Maya.

"You say things without any thought of consequences. The way from here to there could be guarded by beast scouts."

"What of it?" asked Maya. "We'll just clear them out and hide the bodies. If we're lucky, we might be able to steal some uniforms if there are Branded with the scouts."

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" said Jacob frustrated. "You do this all the time!"

"Then I'll go without you…"

"Fine. But this time, I won't be there to save you if something goes wrong."

"Then what about-

"Don't even think about it," Jacob cut off Maya as she looked at Eric. "He's not going with you."

"As you wish," said Maya as she began to work her way down the cliff.

"That's it?" questioned Jacob. "No preparations, you're just going to leave now?"

"If your not going to save me if something happens, then you don't need to worry about me." Maya then continued to climb down.

xxxxx

Upon reaching the cliff's base, Maya quickly dove to the nearest bush as she saw a scouting party heading her direction. _I didn't think they' would go this far, _she thought. She readied her bow and took aim just in case she was spotted. The group neared her position and every step they took made her heart race faster. There was no way she could take all six of them down, her best bet was to stay hidden. As the two tigers in the group neared her hiding spot, they looked directly into her eyes. _Damn! _she thought. A wave of relief quickly folowed as they turned around. She was not spotted after all.

"Enough," the lone Branded in the group finally said. "There is no one here." One of the cats then reverted back to human form. He quickly approached the man and said, "If you wish sir, we will begin to scale the cliff. After all, it is the perfect vantage point."

"Very well," replied the Branded. "Take the other two cats with you, the tigers and I will return to base."

"Affirmative!"

This made Maya's face light up. She waited until the cats were an ample distance up the cliff, then she quickly ran after the Branded's group. _Jacob alone should be able to handle those guys,_ she thought about the cats. _Guess that uniform plan is the best way to go after all._

As Maya ran she drew her bow and readied an arrow. Finally catching up with the Branded's party, she let the arrow loose. She was surprised to see the Branded reveal a shield underneath his cloak. He blocked the arrow then pointed the two tigers towards her. Maya quickly pulled out another arrow and shot the first tiger in the eye. She then rolled out of the way of the second tiger and drew her bow once more. As it prepared to charge yet again, she fired another arrow right into it's gaping maw. The tiger fell swiftly and she stared down the last man. As the Branded charged, Maya drew two arrows. She fired the first one at his chest then the second one at his leg in quick succession. The man blocked both shots and continued to charge. He swung his sword then followed up with his shield which were both dodged by Maya. She then blocked the next attack using her bow all the while breathing a sigh of relief that it was made of metal. Not wasting any time, she raised her leg and kicked the man's shield. It caused him to spin in a circle which upon facing Maya once more, had her bow drawn and aimed at his head. She did not spare a thought and shot him without hesitation.

"Nice try," said Maya to herself. "But you're a hundred years to young to beat me."

She then ripped off the bandages on her shoulder to expose her Brand. Taking her opponenets armor off, she was relieved to know that his brand was in the exact same position as hers which was revealed through the whole in the armor's shoulder. "Perfect," she said to herself. "At least I won't look suspicious when I go to their camp."

Maya then quickly drew her bow once more and aimed at the shrubbery. She was surprised to see Eric reaveal himself. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I just couldn't sit there and let master treat me like a child," he said. "I came here so I can prove myself."

"So you snuck away from him?"

"Yes… Please don't tell him!"

"I won't. Besides, if I know him, he's still contemplating whether he should come save you or let you learn your lesson by making the mistake of accompanying me right now."

"If that's the case," said Eric now with a smile. "We should get a move on."

"Hold on one second," Maya replied.

"What's the problem?" questioned Eric.

"You don't have a brand…"

"So what's the problem?" said Eric. "We find another scouting group and take their uniforms."

"You don't get it," said Maya. "Branded scouts are always asked to show their brand after finishing a shift to make sure they have not been captured or replaced. Even then, the only reason this plan will work is because this man's brand is on a spot on his body similar to mine. Branded armor is custom built for each soldier and desinged to expose their brand."

"Does than mean?" asked Eric.

"Yes," said Maya. "I'm one of them."

"Then why do you fight with us?"

"I have my reasons which you do not need to know. All you need to know is that the very blood that runs through my veins, is the reason I know this plan is going to work. I know the enemy, and I wish for you to trust me."

"Who else knows about your secret?"

"Only the Laguz Kings, Ike, and the other higher ups including Jacob. If anyone else learns, I might be sentenced to death and the Kings' loyalties will be questioned. It could lead to much civil turmoil."

"Well, if they trusted you, then I guess I can too."

"Good," said Maya with a smile. "Now let's get to work."

"So what do we do?" questioned Eric once more.

"Simple," answered Maya. "I'm going to use the original plan I had for Jacob on you."

"Which is?"

"Something you're not going to like…"

xxxxx

"This is ridiculous," said Volke as he leaned against the chair in his tent. "I've never had a job that paid so much but took so long."

"What are you talking about," said another man sitting across from him. "You didn't sign us up to a job, you signed us up to slavery. You've become co-leader of this army along side that man who's part of '_The Nine.' _In truth if you haven't realized though, you're actually being treated like you're under him. Damn Senator…"

"I know," said Volke. "We could always attempt to escape, but with all these men around, the timing would be very ill advised."

"At least they allowed for your request of me being your second in command," said the young man.

"Young Valentine," said Volke. "Wherever I go, you're going with me. After all, how am I suppose to pass all my teachings if you weren't around."

"You have a point," said Val.

"Anyway, don't let me down," said Volke. "Once I pass on everything to you, you'll be the new '_Fireman'_ and I can finally retire."

"How much longer is that gold draught you have going to last anyway?" asked Val.

"No matter how much gold I have, the potion's strength still seems to be fading," answered Volke with a hopeless tone in his voice. "I'm guessing maybe another one hundred years. If only I knew all the secrets of Alchemy… "

"That's plenty of time," said Val. "You should stop worrying about it. After all, none of us were born to learn everything in this world."

"You're right," said Volke getting up and moving towards the map on the table. "So what does that bastard Ivan have planned for the battlefield when all the men have arrived?"

"After taking your place in today's war meeting, here's all you need to know," said Val now drawing figures on the map. "First, tomorrow when roughly about ten thousand of our soldiers have crossed, we will form and armada known as '_The Central Army'_." Any other troops who cross will be used to replace the wounded and dead who will be sent home and given proper burials or treatment. Our division is a small covert group consisting of the most elite beast warriors and branded. We were also given the captured feral hawks for diversion purposes."

"I see," said Volke. "So we're not even allowed to lead half the army. Just a hundred of the ten thousand…"

"Ninety-six actually," corrected Val. "But they're suppose to be the best of the best. I also heard commander Tanner will be under our division."

"You mean _'Tanner the Razor_?_'_" asked Volke. "Goddess help the enemy if he is. That just made this war that much easier to win. Anyway, what is our role?"

"Given the size of our group and the units in it, we will only mobilize when ordered," answered Val. "As expected, we will be doing all the dirty work behind enemy lines to ensure victory."

"Perfect," said Volke. "What of supplies and sieges?"

"As of now," said Val now pointing at the map. "Once we cross the Crimean fields, the main force will engage the army waiting for us in Castle Delbray. Our unit is to sneak in from behind the castle and assassinate the key leaders as well as their general if he chooses to hide. This will cripple morale and turn the tide to our favor. As for supplies, we have been guaranteed a shipment of weapons and recently crafted Laguz Stones as well as Demi Bands and Olivi Grass every end of the week."

"Good," said Volke. "Now please update me on the current situation."

"As you wish," said Val. "Our scouts have encountered no spies. One of them however has recently returned after being attacked by what seemed like a small strike force of Crimean troops."

"How many survivors?" asked Volke.

"One," answered Val. "She has suffered little injury and managed to capture one of the attackers."

"I see," said Volke now in deep thought. "Prepare to receive orders."

"Yes sir! General Volke, sir!" exclaimed Val now saluting.

"Kill all our feral hawks," said Volke to Val's surprise. "Best to end their misery now then later. Once that is finished, kill the captured prisoner. I'll go after the lone scout survivor. Something just doesn't seem to fit with those two…

xxxxx

"Here," whispered Maya slipping a pin in one if Eric's pockets. "Free yourself of the shackles as soon as you get in the cage. Then, pay close attention to the sky above. Remember, as soon as you see the large cloud up above us completely envelop the moon, break yourself free of the cage and rush for one of the main tents. It looks like this army has two generals, we'll try to kill one before we escape."

"What about the bridge?" asked Eric as Maya put him in the cage.

"I'll take care of that," she answered. "You just make sure you do your part."

"Okay. Good luck Maya."

"And to you as well."

Maya then ran towards the bridge and disappeared under the night sky.

xxxxx

Eric waited patiently in the cage looking at men as they passed by on rare occasions. He did not like the feeling of the shackles on his ankles or wrists even though he had already unlocked them. He then turned his head to the moon. It was now half concealed by the cloud and his adrenaline spiked. He had never been in such a tense situation. In fact, he had never been in an actual battle. Jacob had always told him that you should start small and fight a battle against a single opponent. It would keep your focus on yourself instead of your teammates as well as adjust you to the situation. From their you branch out slowly by taking on more foes and siding with more allies. This is what made a great warrior as well as leader. Someone who can confidently defend himself as well as allow his teammates to depend on him.

Eric then thought of how he had never been confident or ever been relied upon. He wasn't even sure if he could defend himself against the first soldier he would face once he exited the cage. As Eric continued to ponder, he was shaken by a large explosion. Not to far northeast of him he saw half of the bridge buckle and fall into the river. He gazed at the moon and saw that it was completely engulfed in the cloud. As he ran to unlock the cage dozens of men rushed passed him giving him second thoughts of breaking free. They were then broken as he saw two men rush his cage.

"What's he doing out of the shackles?" the first one screamed.

"Who cares!" screamed the second man as he tried to catch up with the others. "Just push the cage of the cliff. The river will take care of the rest."

As the man began to push, a fire lit inside Eric. He grabbed the man's hands and pulled them against the bars. He then put the shackles on the man's wrists and made his way out of the cage. Taking the man's sword, Eric then pushed the cage of the cliff dragging the poor man to his death. He then quickly ran towards the large tents before being halted by another man.

"Give up Branded scum," said Eric. "The bridge has fallen. You will receive no more troops and the Crimean army will slowly wipe you out."

"Correction," said the man. "The bridge is only half destroyed. This makes the damage repairable compared to the other bridges. And who ever said we couldn't deliver our supplies and troops by air? That's what the Pegasus and Dracoknights are for."

"Your bluffing," said Eric

"How would you know?" asked the man

"I just do." answered Eric.

"Good guess," said the man. "I was lying about the latter. The former on the other hand, I was not. So I give you this piece of information: My master told me to let you escape and to inform you that the bridge will be repaired in about a month. That gives you thirty-one days to fully wipe out our army and fully destroy the bridge before you are outnumbered."

"Why are you telling me all this?" asked Eric suspiciously.

"Because my master and I have our reasons. Now flee while the men are distracted."

"And what of my ally?" Eric asked another question.

"She will be killed to keep our treason from being exposed," answered the man.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Eric. "I'd rather die than leave her behind."

"So be it," said the man now pulling a knife from his belt. "I was given orders to kill you as well should you not cooperate."


End file.
